What the opener does
The motor drives a carriage along a rail on the ceiling, and the carriage pulls the door open and closed. The springs balance the door’s weight. A door that’s out of balance puts strain on the opener and the tracks (B&D), so an opener fault can start with the door itself.
Openers have a reversing feature. Steel-Line calls it only a precautionary system, and strongly recommends adding photo-eye safety sensors (Steel-Line).
Common opener faults
- Won’t respond to the remote. Check the remote’s battery first. If no remote works, they may need recoding to the opener (Steel-Line).
- The motor runs, but the door doesn’t move. The opener may be in manual mode after a power cut, or the door’s lock may be on (Steel-Line).
- Starts to close, then reverses. The safety sensors near the bottom of the door may be blocked or out of line, or the limit settings may need adjusting (B&D).
- Runs slowly. On a roller door, Steel-Line suggests cleaning the guides with warm soapy water first.
- Dead after a power cut. Check the circuit breaker. If it trips again after you reset it, the opener needs repair or replacing.
- Unusual noises. B&D lists lack of lubrication, worn parts and misalignment as causes.
Don’t take the cover off the opener or try to fix an electrical fault unless you’re qualified (Steel-Line). If the door or opener seems unstable, B&D says not to attempt any repairs (B&D).
The manual release
The red manual release cord disconnects the door from the opener, so you can move the door by hand when the power is out. Pull it down firmly once, then push the door up by hand, and never pull the door with the cord. Take care if the door is open: weak or broken springs can make it fall fast (Merlin). Pull the cord again to reconnect the opener when the power is back.
Remotes and button batteries
Steel-Line’s manual says to keep remote controls out of children’s reach, and not to let children play with them (Steel-Line).
If your remote takes a button or coin battery, the battery is a hazard too. Button batteries can get stuck in a child’s throat and cause serious lifelong injuries or death, and children up to 5 are at greatest risk (ACCC). Remotes supplied since 22 June 2022 must have a secure battery compartment. In November 2023, Battery World and Remote King garage remotes were recalled because young children could get at the batteries (ACCC).
New power points: a licensed electrician
In NSW, any electrical wiring work needs an electrical licence or certificate, whatever the job costs (NSW Government). If your new opener needs a power point that isn’t there, or needs to be hard-wired, that part must be done by a licensed electrician. Ask the garage door business who will do it, and get it in the quote.
Repair or replace?
B&D’s openers carry a 5 to 10 year warranty, and the warranty doesn’t cover faults caused by power surges, or by a door that takes more than 20 kg of force to move by hand (B&D). If your opener is still under warranty, start with the business that installed it. Otherwise, ask the business that calls you to quote a repair and a replacement, and to check the door’s balance either way.
