(Newswire.net — February 11, 2019) — Is it easy to learn how to adjust a garage door chain? The answer to this question is yes. Your garage door chain may occasionally require adjusting, not because the door is faulty, but due to other factors such as when the lock nuts have moved out of place or the chain has stretched. A garage door is very heavy, which means that if any part is malfunctioning, the door can put your safety and that of your family at risk. Beyond ensuring that your garage door locks are working properly, it is also important to ensure that other aspects of the door such as chains are also in good working condition.
How The Garage Door Chain Drive Works
Garage door chains resemble the ordinary bicycle chain and are activated by an electric motor in order to raise or lower your garage door. A loose chain can create an abnormal noise when when you are opening or closing the door. A loose chain can also severely damage the rotating sprocket located on top of the motor thus rendering your doors opening and closing system useless. For maximum safety and performance, it is important to keep your garage door chain adjusted correctly.
How to Adjust a Garage Door Chain
The Process of adjusting the garage door chain drive is not as complicated as most people think. You will need two open ended spanners, or adjustable spanners, to help you fix the lock nuts. However, when using adjustable spanners remember to adjust them tightly to avoid making the lock nuts cylindrical. The first step involves lowering the door so that the chain is not stressed while you are making the adjustments. Find the threaded rod used to adjust the chain length located on the right side of your door. The chain can only be tightened either by adjusting the length of the garage door opener track or using an adjustment linked to the chain. All these types of adjustments should be done with the garage door closed and disconnected from the opener.
Adjustment By Shortening The Chain Itself
You can adjust your garage door chain using adjustments located near or at the master link. This is where the door chain drive engages with the cable and normally consists of a bolt with two to three nuts, one for adjusting and two for locking. One nut with a lock washer can also be used for locking. To adjust any excess slack from the chain, simply loosen the inner locking nut and then turn the outer nut clockwise. To avoid unnecessary wear on the chain rollers, do not overtighten the chain. The proper way to adjust your garage door chain is to leave an allowable chain sag on garage door opener.
Adjusting The Length of The Garage Door Opener Track
Some garage doors have chains that utilize a tubular-style track system where a bolt can be turned clockwise to adjust the length of the track. This removes any slack from the chain but the same rules apply when it comes to the recommended chain slack. Once you adjust the chain, test the door by moving it manually to determine if any fine-tuning is necessary.
Bottom Line
Knowing how to adjust a garage door chain will help avoid a problem occutring from a loose or tight chain. Adjusting the chain is an extremely simple task that you can do on your own if you have the right tools. Remember not to have your chain too tight, and there should be some room for it to sag.