Common Garage Door Overheating Problems
If you have an automatic garage door, you may run into occasional issues with its performance. You can solve most automatic garage door issues with a quick fix at home, but others may require professional attention. One worry many homeowners have with their garage doors is whether components can overheat, especially during the summer months.
Read our answer to this concern below to learn more about garage door overheating and what you can do to prevent it.
Can My Garage Door Overheat?
Just like any electronic device, your garage door can overheat. This scenario is particularly common in hot weather, especially if you’re opening and closing your garage door frequently within a short period. When you excessively operate your automatic garage door, the opener mechanisms can become overworked and begin to emit heat very quickly.
The two most common reasons for garage door overheating are overuse and problems with the door’s mechanisms. Finding the root of the issue as soon as possible is critical for the longevity of your garage door opener system.
Can My Garage Door Motor Overheat?
Too much use, especially in hot weather, can cause garage door motor overheating. In fact, the motor will automatically shut itself down when the garage door gets too hot. If you try to remotely open your garage door with no success, an overheating opener motor could be the culprit.
Garage door motors occasionally stop working for several reasons. However, if you’ve been using your garage door frequently within a short period, it’s summer or a combination of both, your garage door motor needs to cool down before you can use it again. We recommend waiting 20-30 minutes before attempting to open it again in this scenario.
Can My Garage Door Opener Overheat?
Since the garage door motor is part of the opener itself, then yes — garage door opener overheating is possible. Most garage doors have automatic thermal overload features, which will cease the opener’s operation if the motor gets overheated. This safety feature is the primary way you can tell whether your residential garage door opener is overheated from frequent use.
If you have a serious technical problem with your garage door opener that causes it to overheat, you may see smoke. When this happens, it’s important to shut your garage door opener system down and unplug it immediately before contacting a garage door professional to inspect the problem. Even if your garage door still functions after the opener cools, the motor has already been damaged beyond safe use.
How to Prevent Your Garage Door From Overheating
The simplest way to prevent your residential garage door from overheating is to limit the frequency of use during warmer months. For example, try not to operate your garage door more than once within 15 minutes during the summer. Running the garage door motor more than a few times within an hour can result in overheating.
When you suspect that your garage door is overheating, refrain from using it for at least 20 minutes — longer if your garage is especially hot. If you see smoke coming from the opener or your garage door still won’t open after a significant amount of time has passed, you need to call a garage door professional who can diagnose the issue and make necessary repairs.
What if your door doesn’t work when it’s hot outside?
When the weather gets hot, the metal on the bracket and rails expands in a way such that the safety sensors become misaligned. We recommend applying a heat-resistant lubricant to your garage door brackets in order to help them align.
What if Your Garage Door Opener is Smoking?
If your garage door opener has started to smoke it means you most likely have a blown starting capacitor. When you energize the motor by activating your garage, power flows to the starting capacitor and builds up enough charge to supply the torque to open the door. If you see smoke this means your capacitor has malfunctioned and needs to be replaced immediately.
Contact Us Today for Garage Door Repair in North Carolina
If you’re experiencing garage door opener problems, contact the professionals at Garage Door Specialists, Inc. today. Our experienced team in Western North Carolina will ensure we fix any problems promptly so you can get back to your daily life.