There are many different components that make a garage door function properly. Each part is intended to help the door function with the assistance of the motor, so that it easily goes up and down without any hiccups every time you push your remote. Knowing what components are included on a garage door and what their functionality is can save you time and money when something goes wrong. Additionally, knowing the various components of a Pittsburgh garage can help to protect you and your family from any potential harm from a malfunctioning garage door.
Here is a list of the components that make up a garage door:
Sections : Steel panels that create the door part of your garage door. These panels are reinforced with stiles which are then interconnected with hinges and rollers. Sections can be replaced when damaged, without having to replace the entire door.
Bottom Brackets: These devices are located at the bottom of a garage door and provide structural support and attachments for lifting cables.
Cable Drums: Located on the torsion spring, these grooved drums provide a place for the lifting cables to wind up when the door is opened.
Torsion Springs: The means to open and close the garage door through the use of cable winding on the drums.
Extension Springs: These springs extend along both horizontal tracks and assist in the raising and lowering of the garage door.
Operator Hanger: Used to attach the horizontal tracks to the ceiling of the garage, providing additional support.
Track: Used as a guide for the garage door to run up and down on. Tracks are installed on both sides of the door and are often referred to as either horizontal or vertical tracks.
Hinges: Attached to the sections of a garage door and provide support. It is the hinges that allow for a garage door to roll up and down.
Emergency Pull Cord: This cord allows for the motor to be disengaged, allowing for the door to be opened or closed manually.
Motor: This is what powers a garage door, mechanically opening and closing the door.
Operator Rail: Most garage doors operate on either a chain, belt or screw drive.
Rear Track Hanger: This is what attaches the horizontal track to the ceiling, therefore providing additional support.
Bearing Plate: Attached to the header, the bearing plate is used to support the spring and shaft.
Photo Eye: The part of the sensor’s safety measure that transmits an infrared light from one sensor to another. If the beam of light is interrupted, the garage door will not be able to close. These must be properly aligned in order for the garage door to operate properly.
It is obvious that there are numerous components that are in place to not only assist a Pittsburgh garage to operate efficiently but to provide safety as well. When a garage door doesn’t open, the most common problem has to do with a damaged spring. As springs are the most dangerous component of a garage door, do not attempt to repair a spring yourself.
Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors has trained garage door technicians who know how to work on garage doors and return them to working order. When you find that your garage door needs repair work done, call on the experts at Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors!