Hi. We recently installed a garage door opener from Chamberlain (Bunnings). it worked well for a few months, however in the last few months it starts to creep down. When you disengage the motor, you can't move the door up and down. I suspect it might be a Spring problem.
Garage Door Problem - door closes by itself.
BewareOfThe Dog on 01/01/2019 - 13:40
Comments
- Find your receipt.
- contact Bunnings
- Let them figure out either a repair solution or a complete replacement.
These steps applies to anything you've bought from a legit store btw eg. Kmart, harvey norman.
but OP self installed, so……..
Bunnings will say return the door opener unit, they won't come out and fix the door.
If it's the Spring why should
vendor's warranty cover it..?Anyway, I just noticed that
part of the problem…
This (below) is for others…
Save work:
First, try to Track down possible
sources of the interference, eg:Prankster programs his/her
remote when you use or tested
yours, nearby; ORburst of RF energy near freq.
(If it's -digitally- coded, this
-shouldn't- cause the problem)What freq. does system use?
Nearby 2-way radio transmitter?
If None of Above caused it, try this:
2nd, consider a cheaper workaround:
Under $36: sOnOff WiFi / RF switch
(All work via wiFi, some do RF, ie,
handheld remote; up to 4 functionsI'd guess 2 functions suffice:
- up &
- down
You could use sOnOff switch as
enabler (no random Up / Down
unless WiFi control (by app,
on your phone or device) com-
pletes a corresponding circuit."sOnOff" is brand lotsa vendors
sell 'em on AliExpress & eBay.Shop around, as RF remotes
can be cheaper on eBayA local supplier may have em.
What did Chamberlain say when you contacted their customer support?
Take the item back to the store and get a replacement.
They said to ask for advice on a bargain website.
Chamberlain
These include a 5 year warranty. Take it back and get a replacement.
https://www.bunnings.com.au/compare?products=3961643,3962374…,5 years sounds pretty good…
How much did the system cost?
What model was it?
I assume you have a roller door. You might want to check the u bolts that are holding the central steel shaft to the brackets on either end. If the nuts are loose then that shaft will be slowly rotating lossening the spring. The spring is there to counter balance the weight of the door so if that has loosened up then the weight of the door might be too heavy for the motor.
If everything is tight then do the above and get a new motor unit.
I suspect it might be a summer problem.
When you say 'we' installed… do you mean you got a garage tech in to install it, or you DIYd?
Pretty sure Chamberlain won't cover you with warranty for DIY installs from what I have heard.
you DIYd?
The store is advertising this item as DIY.
https://www.bunnings.com.au/chamberlain-powerlift-sectional-…Easy DIY installation with simple to follow instructions
Okay no worries, that's good then, I just heard that they don't, happy that I'm corrected.
A "garage tech"?
Never heard of anyone being a "garage tech".
The roller spring is seperate to the opener. The clamp at the opposite end may have slipped.
Get a reputable garage door fitter to assess it. At least you will know for sure what the fault is.
I installed two of these units over ten years ago and they have been faultless.Thanks guys. I did it myself. The good on either end may have slipped, but the unit won't go up and down manually.
There is a roller spring system on the central axle/pole that counterbalances the weight of the door. The more you rotate it, the more it counteracts the tendency to close by itself. If it isn't rotated enough, it will have a tendency to creep shut, as the weight of the door is too much for the winding of the spring. If you rotate it too far, it will have a tendency to creep open as the spring is wound too tight. There is a happy medium, and that is where the clamps on both side need to be tightened fully to prevent slippage. You need to be very careful when adjusting it as you don't want to let the axle go and have it spin out of control and unwind (the spring is under a lot of tension!). You ideally need two people, one on each end, making sure it doesn't slip (it is a P.I.T.A. to rewind it). The best way is to loosen the U-bolts just enough to allow the axle to slip when you turn it, but still tight enough so that it does not "run away" while still being held at both ends by the installers. When it is adjusted properly, make sure both clamps are bolted down snugly so they can't slip. When it is adjusted right, the door should hold in any position, and it should take a light push or pull with a fingertip to make it move and hold in the new position. If it is too heavy, it is not adjusted enough. If it keeps going, it is adjusted too much. Over time, most doors seem to develop the "too-heavy" slip.
What you have at the moment sounds like it is at the heavy end, and the motor is able to just struggle to lift the weight, but you can't do it manually. If you leave it like this for too long you will likely burn out the motor. The motor only needs to rotate the rolled door, not lift the weight of it. All the work is done by the spring. When you disengage the door from the motor, does the motor operate normally and sound the same? Before trying all the above you need to confirm the door has actually disengaged otherwise you will never lift it manually.
Sounds like a door problem, not a motor problem. You need to disconnect the motor and get the door working properly, then see if the motor is still doing the wrong thing.