How do Automatic Garage Door Openers Work?

Automatic garage door openers are the workhorses of garage door systems. They work tirelessly, day and night, 24/7, year after year. They are key to your convenience and comfort, ensuring that you don’t have to get out in the rain or snow to open the garage door. And they never complain.

Automatic garage door openers make it easy to get inside your garage, but most people don’t know much about how an automatic garage door opener works.

Here are some of the basics of how automatic garage doors operate to help you understand how to keep them running smoothly and continue to enjoy their benefits in your day-to-day life.

1. Opener and Keypad

With automatic garage door openers, you can open and close the door from the comfort of your car. It doesn’t take any more effort than pushing a button. These automatic openers operate using radio frequencies, and when these frequencies match, the door opens or closes as you command.

In most cases, homeowners use a keypad to open the door. This keypad is installed outside your garage. That is why you need to ensure that you choose a unique code for it: random numbers instead of your birthdate, address, or other easy-to-deduce information.

2. Springs and Track System

An automatic system requires springs because garage doors are heavy. Springs help open the door without putting too much strain on the system. Without springs, the entire track system can collapse, causing significant damage.

The two types of springs used for automatic garage doors are:

• Extension springs: Extend to open and close the door
• Torsion springs: Twist to smoothly open and close the door

These garage door springs are under high pressure as they bear significant weight, making them dangerous to repair yourself.

In addition to springs, your automatic garage door opener requires guidance. The track system will ensure the door has a path to follow as it opens and closes. However, if this track gets dirty or damaged, it may no longer open or close.

3. Photo Eye Sensor

Because of the door’s weight, closing an automatic garage door is very dangerous without a photo-eye sensor. By projecting a beam of light from one side of the door to another, this sensor ensures nothing is in the garage door path. If the beam is interrupted, the door will not shut.

When the photo-eye sensor becomes damaged or dirty, it starts to sense an obstruction in its path and doesn’t close. Luckily for safety reasons, if the photo-eye sensor does fail, the door will refuse to shut at all, or it will keep bouncing back open.

If You Want to Invest in an Automatic Garage Door Opener, Contact Door Doctor

Door Doctor professionals have experience and knowledge from working with many different systems. They have the right tools and equipment needed to fix garage door opener problems. They will also look at the rest of your garage door system to ensure that your door operates smoothly.

Our professionals will also tell you if the problem is beyond repair and you need a new garage door opener. Without proper safety features like the photo-eye sensor, automatic garage door openers could fail miserably with disastrous consequences.

If you’re thinking of buying an automatic garage door opener or if you need to get one repaired, contact us now.