garage door motorizing
gazz
to the frame about half way up, then 2 springs that run verticaly, one from
each pivot,
it's a bit naff really, as it wobbles as it's opened and closed, and if i
can get a cheap door with the big single spring above the door and wires to
pull the arms up the vertical track, i will replace it, (anyone got one near
nottingham for sale?)
but for now i'm making do with whats there, it was missing it's locking
mechanism, and to replace it all would cost us about 50 quid, so for 60 quid
i bought an electric garage door opener, which will be very handy as we both
ride motorcycles, and it's always a pain to get off the bike to open the
garage door, now we will just press the remote as we enter the drive, ride
in and park, press remote again and enter the house through the side door.
Anyway, i've got the door working on the motor, and it seems to work pretty
well.
But reading the net just now, i've discovered this type of door cant be
automated, it can be converted to a horizontal track door for about 200 quid
then it will work with a door opener, but the sites dont say why it cant be
operated by an opener.
Anyone know why this type of door shouldent be motorized? i've used a camopy
door adaptor arm with the motor, this allows the door to swing through it's
odd arc as it's closed,
Like i say, i'd like to replace the door with a top spring vertical track
model when i can find one cheap enough near nottingham, but in the mean
time, i'd like to keep the existing door motorized, but if it's likely to be
ripped off the pivots, bent in half or what ever by the motor, then i'd best
look for a different door type sooner.
Peter Andrews
"gazz" <n...@spam.ta> wrote in message
news:6ei0ggF...@mid.individual.net...
Gazz - from your description it sounds like the door mechanism that I have,
see
http://www.uk-diy.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
mine has been motorised for over 20 years (now it will break, I know!), only
mod has been to put an ordinary 4" hinge between the actuator and the door
as shown.
Peter
Gazz
"Peter Andrews" <p.an...@blueblueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:8Sohk.4241$Vy5....@newsfe08.ams2...
> Gazz - from your description it sounds like the door mechanism that I
> have, see
> http://www.uk-diy.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
>
> mine has been motorised for over 20 years (now it will break, I know!),
> only mod has been to put an ordinary 4" hinge between the actuator and the
> door as shown.
thankyou very much for those photo's,
yup thats the mechanism on my garage door, i've got a canopy arm on the door
as the opener came with one, but nice to know that if i'd bought the opener
new i could have saved the 45 quid for the canopy arm,
my door goes up and now nice and smoothly, no creaks or groans to show the
pivots are being stressed, i adjusted the springs each side to make it go up
level, but i'll leave it alone now,
bod knows why it shouldent be motorized, i know that with the springs at
normal tension it's almost impossible to push the door closed from the top,
but i just released the tension a bit to allow that to happen, door wont
stay up on it's own now, but the opener holds it open now, and if i have to
use the manual release, i've got a stick of wood to prop the door up with
till i can fix the opener... if it ever fails.
Peter Andrews
"Gazz" <n...@spam.ta> wrote in message
news:6eop9kF...@mid.individual.net...
Glad to have been of help. I should have said that the door and opener were
supplied and installed by a local (franchise) company, circa 1989, - so I
really don't know why it shouldn't be motorised. ...and mine is opened and
closed many times a day.
I'll take the pictures down now:-)
Peter
Invisible Man
When it was lowered it lurched down suddenly the first bit.
The remote control had a large non-recessed very sensitive "press" area.
When closing the hatchback once with the door open I accidentally caught
the press area on the remote. The door hit me hard enough to stun me and
I ended up on the deck with a lacerated head. Back strain made its
presence felt much later.
I claimed that the remote was badly designed so it was difficult not to
accidentally operate the door.
In the installation instructions it recommended that their detector
devices were purchased and fitted to prevent accidents like this
happening. I alleged that if these were necessary safety items they
should have been included in the kit.
The retailer's liability insurers immediately accepted liability.
gazz
"Invisible Man" <Invi...@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:g67lao$ose$1...@registered.motzarella.org...
> Peter Andrews wrote:
> I added a motorised unit to my garage door at a former address.
> When it was lowered it lurched down suddenly the first bit.
> The remote control had a large non-recessed very sensitive "press" area.
> When closing the hatchback once with the door open I accidentally caught
> the press area on the remote. The door hit me hard enough to stun me and I
> ended up on the deck with a lacerated head. Back strain made its presence
> felt much later.
> I claimed that the remote was badly designed so it was difficult not to
> accidentally operate the door.
> In the installation instructions it recommended that their detector
> devices were purchased and fitted to prevent accidents like this
> happening. I alleged that if these were necessary safety items they should
> have been included in the kit.
> The retailer's liability insurers immediately accepted liability.
my door goes down gently all the way, but I really must set the torque
settings up on my opener, i just bunged them on the recomended middle
settings and left them there, it takes a bit of force to get it to reverse
at the moment.... and the bathroom window is right in the arc of the garage
door,
so i know one day i'll have the window open and open the door, and if i do
that before the torque is set up, it'll dammage the window by the time it
reverses, really should see about an interlock so the door cant be operated
with the window open.
My opener came with 2 types of remote, the big single bar type button ones
for clipping to the sun visor of a car (which i will be modifying 2 to work
on our motorbikes, just a waterproof button on a lead, with the remote
hidden somewhere dry on the bike) and there's a car alarm style 3 button
remote,
That one i have in my pocket all the time, and it's the big button on the
top that works the door (other 2 buttons are for other things i havent got,
lights, alarms etc) i have found that in the 3 days i've had the door opener
i've lent against something and operated the remote in my pocket accidentily
at least 10 times,
did it today whilst i was painting the bathroom, took a while for me to
figure out why the door had just opened as i thought i had emptied my
pockets when i put my painters suit on,
I might see if i can erase the key fob remote from the system, and program
it to operate off one of the smaller recessed buttons,
I have the beam break sensors on my system, the opener was second hand so
had all those bits, but they were an optional extra when it was bought new,
a highly recomended one at that, so why the hell they were optional i dont
know,