Automatic garage door opener not closing correctly

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MikeB4

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#255765 28-Aug-2019 11:21

We have a tilting garage with a Dominator garage door opener. It has begun to play up. It will open OK but when we go to close it it will move a few centimeters and stop. If we press either the Fob button of or the switch in the garage it will move down a few centimeters at each press, a painfully slow process. My wife has lubricated the chain, runners and wheels with dry teflon lubricate, I hope this is the right thing to use. I have with my limited mobility examined the springs and fittings and all seems to be OK. On the odd time the door has refused to move withe motor making clicking noises. My wife has got up a ladder and reset the the motor and will start again.

The opener will work for a few days then start to play up again. The unit is around 14 years old. Is this terminal or has anyone got a solution for this.

timmmay

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#2307204 28-Aug-2019 11:23

These things wear out, just replace it. They cost a few hundred dollars from the hardware store, and you can either fit them yourself or have a garage door place do it for you. I replaced my own then had Fred Chapman Garage Doors in Porirua / Wellington check it for me. They put in a bit of additional bracing.

MikeB4

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#2307215 28-Aug-2019 11:42

@timmmay Thanks for that. I was thinking it may have reached end of life. Is Fred Chapman Doors a good tradesman?

allan

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#2307235 28-Aug-2019 12:19

Check the tension on the chain drive. I found on ours at one stage that the door clamp onto the chain had obviously slipped a bit and had put so much tension on the chain that it wouldn't close properly and kept stopping or wanting to repeat the close cycle (it opened just fine still). I also adjusted the distance the door (chain actually) was travelling via one of two protruding screws on the motor unit itself.

mattwnz

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#2307275 28-Aug-2019 14:15

We have an opener that must be 25 years old on the main garage door and still works. But it has had to be adjusted over that time, once when the door wouldn't go all the way up, and then when the door went down a certain amount, and then went up again. Garage doors are supposed to be maintained by the installer every so often. Infact it is often in the warranty terms that they must be checked and serviced by the installer.

MikeB4

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#2307778 29-Aug-2019 12:57

A friend came around last night and did a sequence that resets the control chip in the unit. So far this has appeared to have worked.

dfnt

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#2307783 29-Aug-2019 13:12

If you're based in Wellington I definitely recommend Door City https://doorcity.co.nz/

They did work at our landlord at our old rental, and subsequently our own house and do top quality work.

We had a similar problem with a dominator at our old place, except it would randomly not open. They came around and reset it, but said the <something> was likely wearing out but was good for another 6 months before it finally gave up the ghost. I can't remember what that something was, but in the end was replaced with a Garador motor - they're so much better/quieter.

Fred99

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#2308068 29-Aug-2019 19:53

If it's the model with a vertical row of 4 buttons and LEDs on the rear panel, it's almsot certainly a repairable problem with the main board. You can't get replacement boards.

If OP has a soldering iron and confident with DIY (the board has 230v on it) then PM me.

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MikeB4

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#2399085 16-Jan-2020 15:10

update:

Our garage door opener finally succumbed to age and passed away this week. I contacted Fred Chapman Garage Doors Monday and they replaced the opener this morning. Awesome professional service.Thanks @timmmay for the recommendation.

djtOtago

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#2399105 16-Jan-2020 15:54

So you left to door to suffer for the last 4 and a half months, before it passed away.

No wonder it knocked you unconscious when it had the chance. ref

MikeB4

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#2399119 16-Jan-2020 16:10

djtOtago:
So you left to door to suffer for the last 4 and a half months, before it passed away.

No wonder it knocked you unconscious when it had the chance. ref

They are evil and vindictive for sure

timmmay

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#2400174 16-Jan-2020 19:08

Good to hear it went well. I've found their service really good as well.