Saturday, January 22nd, 2022 at 11:45 am by Dan Musick
DDM Garage Doors is an excellent company, not because we pursue excellence, but because we pursue God and His infinite perfection. Because we value God above everything, we value others: employees, customers, suppliers. God has entrusted the stewardship of this business to us in all of our imperfections to demonstrate His presence in the business as we daily draw on His power to shape us into His image.…
Monday, November 8th, 2021 at 12:53 pm by Dan Musick
The old Allister and Allstar openers use two black sprockets. The one above the motorhead moves to activate the limit switches as the limit dogs reach their shut-off points.
Friday, December 18th, 2020 at 5:55 pm by Dan Musick
An operator counter tracks door cycles: one opening plus one closing equals one cycle. To track the usage of a door, counters are often installed on the operators.
This 24-volt counter shows that the operator has cycled 196,491 times.
One of the more common reasons to track door cycles is to schedule maintenance before repairs are needed.…
Friday, December 11th, 2020 at 6:33 pm by Dan Musick
Customers sometimes ask if they can substitute a different v-belt for their operator. In this video, we demonstrate how to adjust a LiftMaster motor, so the belt fits properly, even if it is a different length.
If a v-belt is too tight or too loose, you can adjust the motor to get the proper fit.…
Friday, November 6th, 2020 at 6:46 pm by Dan Musick
One of the more common LiftMaster Operators is the jackshaft operator. How does the torque get from the motor to the counterbalance shaft of the sectional overhead type door? In this video, we trace the torque as it moves through the LiftMaster Model J drive components.…
Friday, October 23rd, 2020 at 4:57 pm by Dan Musick
Engineers at the Chamberlain Group have designed their LiftMaster operators with error codes that reduce the time required to troubleshoot and repair equipment.
Operator product manuals cover a variety of error codes. In our video, we cover the four major problems that occur in an estimated 80% of operator failures.…
Friday, October 2nd, 2020 at 5:36 pm by Dan Musick
Often when a garage door will open but not close, the cause is a misaligned eye or a broken wire. On residential doors with LiftMaster openers, the quickest test is to check the eyes on both sides. If both lights are on, the eyes should be performing correctly.…
Friday, September 25th, 2020 at 3:36 pm by Dan Musick
In most commercial operators sold in the last century, there were two voltages: the incoming line voltage, and the lower secondary voltage from the transformer. This was usually 24-28 volts with alternating current. On rainy days in my early years, this lower voltage would often produce a noticeable shock.…
YES, WE'RE OPEN FOR BUSINESS! Due to the Coronavirus with the Delta and Omicron varations, we have changed our local order pickup policy at our West Chicago location. To pick up an order you will need to order first. The quickest way to do this is through our online shopping cart. There you can select the local pickup option. Or, you can call 630-293-1337 for assistance and to place your order. When ready, we will call you and your parts will be available for pickup in the front entrance on the north side of the building. Longer items will be picked up on the south side loading dock. Please do not arrive until you have been notified that your order is ready.
COVID / DELTA / OMICRON VARIANT UPDATE! NO MASK, NO SERVICE! When picking up parts please wear a mask. If you don't bring one we'll gladly provide one. Please honor the six foot social distancing rule to protect yourself and our employees. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we all navigate this challenge together. More information is available on our blog titled DDM Adjusts to the COVID-19 Coronavirus.
DELAYS AND INFLATION: COVID has interrupted global supply distribution chains resulting in unprecedented delays on incoming door and dock industry products. The result is limited availability of many products, two to three month delays on incoming shipments, and an inflationary rate of over 100% on most of our products, and 200-300% on many of our core products such as springs and cones.
SHIPPING CHANGES: Shipping times are currently not guaranteed, even on next day and second day shipments. Normal transit times do not apply. Shipping prices on items over 10 feet long have tripled in many cases.
SPRING WIRE AND CONE SHORTAGES: We currntly have a good inventory of 2" ID springs and cones. However, due to cone and wire shortages, we currently do not have cones for the residential 1 3/4" and 2 1/4" ID springs. For these sizes many customers are reusing their existing cones. If you need the larger inside diameter springs for commercial doors, there will be a one to two month delay on your order. If you are willing to wait two months for your springs, please note that in the comment section of your order. We deeply regret the hardships this will create for many of our customers.
