Friday, October 2nd, 2020 at 5:36 pm by Dan Musick
Photo eyes keep garage doors from injuring people. They detect objects that would obstruct the door as it closes. However, a malfunctioning photo eye may keep the door from closing at all.
Often when a garage door will open but not close, the cause is a misaligned eye or a broken wire.…
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.…
Friday, September 18th, 2020 at 6:21 pm by Dan Musick
Installers and salesmen order sectional door operators to match the operator voltages to the voltages in the buildings. Sometimes salesmen order operators with the wrong voltage, and then need to change the operator voltage. This can be done by changing the wires at the motor, as long as the building voltage is 110 or 220 volts.…
Friday, September 11th, 2020 at 2:09 pm by Dan Musick
Four-wire motors
When I first got into the door business, the most common wiring for a 110-volt circuit consisted of a four-wire motor and two power leads. The two power leads ran straight to the motor. The other wires from the motor could go to either power lead.…
Tuesday, September 8th, 2020 at 4:10 pm by Dan Musick
In order to test the cycle life of different spring systems, we designed a Counter and Timer Modification for LiftMaster Operators. This modification allows the operator to close immediately after opening and to open immediately after closing. As a result, we can run the operator nonstop for days at a time so that a 10,000 cycle test can be completed in just a few days.…
Friday, August 28th, 2020 at 5:02 pm by Dan Musick
Garage door opener limit switches electrically limit the door travel as it opens and closes. These switches “tell” the opener or operator when to stop. In this video, we explain how LiftMaster limit switches work, and how to adjust them.
How they work
LiftMaster uses a common system of nuts on a shaft to limit the movement of garage doors.…
Friday, August 21st, 2020 at 5:53 pm by Dan Musick
Commercial door operator manufacturers have designed three standard safety systems: the clutch, the photo eyes, and the rpm sensor. These keep the door from injuring people or damaging objects that might be obstructing the door.
First is the mechanical clutch that slips when something obstructs the door.…
Friday, August 14th, 2020 at 5:33 pm by Dan Musick
In the garage door industry, we distinguish between “openers” for residential applications and “operators” for commercial and industrial applications.
Back in the early eighties, I worked for Northwest Door in Elgin, Illinois. While there, I got to know a gentleman who had formerly worked for John Greene Corporation in Downers Grove, Illinois.…
Since 1980 I have been training professionals to repair the various types of equipment in the garage door industry. I had started my career with Overhead Door of Elk Grove in January of 1979. The following year, I began training the servicemen there in what was, during that time, one of the largest garage door sales, installation, and service companies in the industry.…
Huge inventory of torsion springs for same or next day shipping! Here you will find all you need in the most common sizes of 1 3/4," 2," 2 1/4," and 2 5/8" inside diameter springs. Larger 3 3/4" and 6" inside diameter commercial and industrial springs may require a day or two to ship. You'll also find TorqueMaster Springs, Extension Springs, Self-Storage door springs, steel rolling door springs and springs for one piece single panel doors.
Shelves packed with every part you need to fix your doors.
Please note. Shipping times and costs have changed. Normal transit times are currently not guaranteed, even on next day and second day shipments. Shipping prices on items over eight feet have more than tripled.