How garage doors work?
07/22/2013 Back To BlogHave you ever wondered what goes on behind the garage door, or do you end up looking at the complex system of springs and rollers and try to figure out how exactly do they open the door? Or perhaps you find yourself looking at the motor and wondering how such a small motor can raise such a big door? Well you don’t have to wonder anymore. If you know how something works and a problem presents itself, it becomes easier to fix and in this case knowledge saves you money. So, let’s have a look at how garage doors work:
Tracks
Fundamental to garage door operation, the tracks guide the door into a direction and also provide space for the rollers to roll on the track, and this enables the door to lift smoothly and keeps the door in place. The tracks usually have quite a narrow opening just enough to keep the axle that connects the roller to move. This secures the wheel in place and prevents it from going anywhere it’s not supposed to.
Torsion Spring
The torsion spring is usually located just above the garage door opening and provides the necessary torque the door requires to be lifted. The torsion spring is connected to the bottom of the door with steel cables.
Motor
The motor is connected to the top of the door by a steel rail. This rail also contains a limiter, that tells the motor when the door has reached its maximum opening size. The rail also contains a safety release which when pulled enables the rail to run free from the track which enables you to open the door manually. The motor provides enough pull for the garage door to be lifted in order for the torsion spring to be able to lift the door.
There you have it, a complex yet effective procedure form a simple idea… it’s like having Isaac Newton in your garage!