Garage door only opens 1/5th of the way when it's cold outside

[JEDI]

whenever the temp drops below 20F, my garage door only opens part way.

i have to assist in opening it.

why does the springs loose it's pull back strength when its cold?

or is it something else?

 

[Soccerman06]

The tracks could be warping.

 

[Merad]

Is yours the kind with a screw drive? My dad had a very similar problem a few years ago, when it got cold the doors would make a lot of noise and eventually not cycle all the way. He had used the wrong kind of grease and way too much of it on the screw, and the grease was congealing in the cold.

 

[apac]

Is yours the kind with a screw drive? My dad had a very similar problem a few years ago, when it got cold the doors would make a lot of noise and eventually not cycle all the way. He had used the wrong kind of grease and way too much of it on the screw, and the grease was congealing in the cold.

Agree, sounds like a lubricant problem. Try cleaning and regreasing the moving parts.

 

[leeland]

I had the SAME thing in our old home...randomly would only open half way.

Called in a garage door guy...the basic fix he had was a run of the mill oil can (the kind you fill with new or used oil and has a pump on it).

He lubed every moving part of the door, all the hinges and made a very MINOR adjustment to the track itself.

It was night and day...super quite vs. squeaky and loud.

I would recommend going and getting a quart of oil and a oil can and trying to lube up all the hinges and rollers and see how that works for you.

Might save you a hundred bucks.

 

[JEDI]

Is yours the kind with a screw drive? My dad had a very similar problem a few years ago, when it got cold the doors would make a lot of noise and eventually not cycle all the way. He had used the wrong kind of grease and way too much of it on the screw, and the grease was congealing in the cold.

not a screw drive. 2 springs on either side of the door.

I had the SAME thing in our old home...randomly would only open half way.

Called in a garage door guy...the basic fix he had was a run of the mill oil can (the kind you fill with new or used oil and has a pump on it).

He lubed every moving part of the door, all the hinges and made a very MINOR adjustment to the track itself.

It was night and day...super quite vs. squeaky and loud.

I would recommend going and getting a quart of oil and a oil can and trying to lube up all the hinges and rollers and see how that works for you.

Might save you a hundred bucks.

oil as in motor oil as in 10-30?
would wd40 work?


any why only when it's cold?

 

[BoomerD]

not a screw drive. 2 springs on either side of the door.





oil as in motor oil as in 10-30?
would wd40 work?


any why only when it's cold?

WD40 will help if the problem is in the rollers...but be careful not to use too much. you only want to lube the bearings, not the rollers. (too much will allow the rollers to slide in the tracks and will eventually cause them to develop flat spots...and that'll make the problem worse.)
You can also spray a bit of lubricant on the springs themselves too allow them to move more freely.

Here's some maintenance tips:

http://garages.about.com/od/garagemaintenance/a/GarDrMntnce.htm

Garage door maintenance is not on most people's regular to do list. But there are a few simple things you should do every year or so to keep the door rolling along trouble-free.
Give all rollers, hinges, roller tracks, hinges, and latches a good squirt with a penetrating solvent like WD-40 or a citrus-based solvent. Lubricate the pulleys on extension-spring openers and the bearings on torsion-spring openers. Wipe a little oil on the torsion spring if it is rusty and binds up.
Wipe everything clean, then apply a light oil, such as 3-in-1 lubricant, to the same parts.
If any rollers or hinges seem stuck, try to soak them in some kerosene. Use a small brush (an old toothbrush works great) to work the kerosene into the cracks. Remove any rust with steel wool. Wipe all parts clean, then apply lubricant.
Garage door maintenance is often needed on the door opener. If your garage door opener is operated by a chain or drive screw, apply the same lubricant to the full length.
Check any weatherstripping along the sides of the doors. Adjust if it is jamming against the sides, and replace if necessary.
If your garage door is wood and it doesn't have bottom weatherstripping, make sure it has been sealed or painted. Touch up as needed, and consider adding weatherstripping.
Make garage door maintenance an annual project (spring or fall are good times).

This is SUPPOSED to be good. (never used it, so YMMV)

http://www.3inone.com/products/garage-door-lube/

Depending on the opener, you may need to clean and lube the drive mechanism.( screw, chain, and drive parts)

When it's cold, the old lubricant gets VERY thick...and may cause binding.

 

[DaTT]

Sectional door, or a 1 piece?

 

[Squisher]

Home Depot has a lube kit ($10) for garage doors, an aerosol spray for the hinges and rollers and grease for the chain or screw.

 

[helpme]

Mine started doing this when it got cold - Just cranked up the torque setting a tiny bit Screw drive didn't look dry, but I guess I should check everything out for dryness.

 

[DaTT]

It really doesn't sound like a "lube" problem. Sounds like more of a opener problem. It's not a Wayne Dalton iDrive is it?

 

[JEDI]

Sectional door, or a 1 piece?

sectional

It really doesn't sound like a "lube" problem. Sounds like more of a opener problem. It's not a Wayne Dalton iDrive is it?

craftsman

 

[leeland]

not a screw drive. 2 springs on either side of the door.





oil as in motor oil as in 10-30?
would wd40 work?


any why only when it's cold?

I don't think the viscosity of the oil mattered....just that it wasn't dry...he had plain old motor oil...I would presume 10w-30.

 

[StrangeRanger]

20F is not that cold, but keep in mind as it gets cold all of those metal parts contract and the springs get less springy. Things that only rub a bit when warmer can tend to bind up a lot more when cold. So it's probably a combination of things.
Just make sure everything has some lube on it and still moves freely. Disengage the door from the opener and operate it by hand and it will be much easier to spot binding points.
It was -23F this morning when I left the house and I had to "help" the garage door close. Guess I need to follow my own advice.
j

 

[DaTT]

Disconnect the opener from the garage and see if it feels heavy to open and close. I suspect the spring needs half a wind or so.