Bouncing Garage Door (Won't Stay Shut)
JayGere
Okay, here's one we're having no luck figurin' out:
Our garage door, electric and newly installed last month, doesn't want to stay
shut. We press the button on the remote or the wall switch to close it, and it
lowers all the way down to the ground, but then a moment later it rises up
again (and the inside light starts blinking a few times, maybe signalling a
malfunction?). We can't find the installation instructions to read what this
all means.
When it starts to rise, I can quickly double-press the remote switch to get it
to lock in place about half-a-foot off the ground, but that's about as close to
the ground as I can get it to stop.
Anyone out there have any suggestions or possible explanations? Many thanks!!!
dkarnes
screw to decrease the force downward
Rick Matthews
>Our garage door, electric and newly installed last month, doesn't
>want to stay shut. We press the button on the remote or the wall
>switch to close it, and it lowers all the way down to the ground,
>but then a moment later it rises up again (and the inside light
>starts blinking a few times, maybe signalling a malfunction?). We
>can't find the installation instructions to read what this all
>means.
You've described what should happen when the door hits an object prior
to fully closing. My guess is that it is incorrectly adjusted and does
not think it is fully closed when the door reaches the ground,
therefore it reverses.
You said the door was installed last month. I would get the installer
back out there to readjust the door; don't do it yourself! Look at the
owners manual for the opener, it lists a series of tests that the door
should pass when it is properly adjusted. Make sure it passes all of
those tests after it has been readjusted.
An improperly adjusted garage door opener can kill a pet or a small
child. Have it readjusted as soon as possible.
Rick
Daniel Hicks
>
> Hi, All!
>
> Okay, here's one we're having no luck figurin' out:
>
> shut. We press the button on the remote or the wall switch to close it, and it
> lowers all the way down to the ground, but then a moment later it rises up
> again (and the inside light starts blinking a few times, maybe signalling a
> malfunction?). We can't find the installation instructions to read what this
> all means.
>
> to lock in place about half-a-foot off the ground, but that's about as close to
> the ground as I can get it to stop.
>
> Anyone out there have any suggestions or possible explanations? Many thanks!!!
Probably the travel needs adjusting. You'll need to find that manual.
Or, if it was professionally installed, the installer should come out
and adjust it. It's fairly normal for a problem to occur after the
first month or so of use as parts get "broken in".
Daniel Hicks
dkarnes wrote:
>
> check the screw on your motor. it will say down usually with a arrow. turn the
> screw to decrease the force downward
>
> JayGere wrote:
>
> > Hi, All!
> >
> > Okay, here's one we're having no luck figurin' out:
> >
> > Our garage door, electric and newly installed last month, doesn't want to stay
> > shut. We press the button on the remote or the wall switch to close it, and it
> > lowers all the way down to the ground, but then a moment later it rises up
> > again (and the inside light starts blinking a few times, maybe signalling a
> > malfunction?). We can't find the installation instructions to read what this
> > all means.
> >
> > When it starts to rise, I can quickly double-press the remote switch to get it
> > to lock in place about half-a-foot off the ground, but that's about as close to
> > the ground as I can get it to stop.
> >
> > Anyone out there have any suggestions or possible explanations? Many thanks!!!
> >
> > Jay...@aol.com
JayGere
Mark H.
the other posters, which can be seen and adjusted mechanically, by hand or
with a screw driver.
Let's see if I can describe this clearly:
When the door comes down and closes, if it hits the ground with too much
force, it triggers a mechanical "sensitivity" switch that reverses the
opener mechanism and the door goes back up. If you see that the door
literally "bounces" when it hits the ground, this might be the case. (If you
locate the sensitivity switch, you can watch it "jerk" when the door hits
the ground.)
Or, it may be that it isn't hitting with too much force, but rather the
sensitivity switch is set too sensitive. Depending on the brand of electric
door opener, one can adjust the downward force or the sensitivity switch.
(The sensitivity adjustment is important, because you want the door to
reverse if it hits an object or a child and you don't want the object/child
damaged before the door reverses. On the flip side, you don't want the door
to reverse just because it closes firmly, which it should.)
There is also an adjustment that regulates how far the door goes up and how
far it goes down, the "travel." If the door closes and the limit of travel
hasn't been reached, the door is still pushing against the ground and the
resistance triggers the door to reverse. If you see that the door closes,
hesitates a second or two, and goes back up, it's likely that the "travel"
needs adjustment. The limit of travel should be set at the point the door
closes.
Based upon your description of the problem, I'd try addressing Dan's
suggestion about the travel first, if you do it yourself. (I'd suggest
getting a ladder, climbing up and taking the case off of the opener and
watching what happens when you operate it first, before making any
adjustments. You can see these mechanical parts in action. Also, remember
to unplug the opener when you're poking around at it.)
If you paid a service company to install the electric opener within the past
few months, they should come back out to adjust it at no charge. Check your
warranty.
Hope this helps,
Mark H.
The Bronx
Daniel Hicks <danh...@ieee.org> wrote in message
news:3908EED8...@ieee.org...
> JayGere wrote:
> >
> > Hi, All!
> >
> > Okay, here's one we're having no luck figurin' out:
> >
> > Our garage door, electric and newly installed last month, doesn't want
to stay
> > shut. We press the button on the remote or the wall switch to close it,
and it
> > lowers all the way down to the ground, but then a moment later it rises
up
> > again (and the inside light starts blinking a few times, maybe
signalling a
> > malfunction?). We can't find the installation instructions to read what
this
> > all means.
> >
> > When it starts to rise, I can quickly double-press the remote switch to
get it
> > to lock in place about half-a-foot off the ground, but that's about as
close to
> > the ground as I can get it to stop.
> >
> > Anyone out there have any suggestions or possible explanations? Many
thanks!!!
>
PROSE
>
> Our garage door, electric and newly installed last month, doesn't want to stay
> shut. We press the button on the remote or the wall switch to close it, and it
> lowers all the way down to the ground, but then a moment later it rises up
Does it have an "I have just shut on a small child's head" sensor that isn't
correctly detecting the difference between hitting the ground and hitting
an obstruction?
JayGere
Yes, it does have a sensor, but nothing seems to be obstructing it. As I
wrote, it comes down . . . then closes shut . . . and then, about three seconds
later, it starts up again. Strange.
Mary
the installer for another copy? Maybe it's even online. The
instructions will include how to adjust the door for 2 things: to
make sure it reverses properly when it hits an obstruction, and to
make sure it stops at the floor.
We had our garage door opener installed 12 years ago, and I don't know
if it was ever properly adjusted. I decided about a month ago to
check it out (prompted by an article in a newsletter included with an
insurance bill). It was awful! I believe it would have ripped the
bumper off my car if I had parked it too far back. I also believe it
would have killed anyone trapped under it. My kids are teenagers now
and have been taught not to run under a moving garage door -- but it
is scary to think about what could happen.
(By the way, the flashing light when the door reverses indicates that
the opener detected "something blocking the way." Obviously your door
needs to be adjusted so it will stop at the floor.)
On 27 Apr 2000 23:35:52 GMT, jay...@aol.com (JayGere) wrote:
>Hi, All!
>
>Okay, here's one we're having no luck figurin' out:
>
>Our garage door, electric and newly installed last month, doesn't want to stay
>shut. We press the button on the remote or the wall switch to close it, and it
>lowers all the way down to the ground, but then a moment later it rises up
>again (and the inside light starts blinking a few times, maybe signalling a
>malfunction?). We can't find the installation instructions to read what this
>all means.
>
>When it starts to rise, I can quickly double-press the remote switch to get it
>to lock in place about half-a-foot off the ground, but that's about as close to
>the ground as I can get it to stop.
>
>Anyone out there have any suggestions or possible explanations? Many thanks!!!
>
Joseph Meehan
kinds of sensors on modern doors. An optical one (they may not be aimed
correctly or a part of the door is interfering with them) and a limit switch
which is my guess and it is set to close to the wall end causing the unit to
try and over close the door. This is when the internal clutch type sensor
inside the motor unit senses the resistance and reverses the door.
I believe if you move the lower limit switch about an inch towards the
motor (away from the opening) that will take care of it.
--
Joe M
26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish math
foxeye
away, the door would close. then all of a sudden it would not work.
YOu had to hold the button in continually until the door got alll the
way closed, then you could let go of the button and it would stay
closed. The remote would open but not close the door..It turned out to
be a resistor in the wall switch that was screwed up, and not the
sensors like I had originally though. I had adjusted them, and even
bought a new pair, and installed them, and the door still would not
work. I returned the pair, and then found out it was the switch
itself.
Foxeye
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Just my .02 cents worth!
Richard Wiebe
Switch operation - UP, and DOWN; and work fine, stopping when closed.
And . . . . .
Our door operators at work are a Three-
Switch operation - UP, Down, STOP, and you use the Stop button at any
mid-point in either direction. We also have to use the Stop button
after it is fully closed - OR
the door will re-open. (And that is normal for this type of opener)
So the first step MUST be to get a manual and also contact the
installer.
Getting older (and wiser) - but - it beats the alternative!
Robert Hancock
sensing the excessive force as an obstruction and reversing. (Sounds like
you have a Stanley, perhaps, those start blinking the light after the door
reverses because of an obstruction.) If you do have a Stanley that
adjustment is one of the two knobs sticking out of the bottom.
--
Robert Hancock Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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"JayGere" <jay...@aol.com> wrote in message
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