 |
Installing a Garage Door Opener |
|
|
    |
|
    |
Materials List
| Garage door opener |
| Mounting bracket |
| Lag screws |
| Misc. 2” x 4” pieces |
| Insulated staples |
| Shims |
|
Tools List (click item to shop)
|
 |
IMPORTANT:
Read this before you start
Introduction
A garage door opener has become an almost indispensable part of modern life. It offers an overwhelming number of convenience and safety features that will make you wonder how you lived without one for so long. On a rainy night, the last thing you want to do is climb out of your car and heave the garage door open manually. Some garage door openers include an outdoor keypad that enables you to punch in a code to open the door – just in case you don’t have the remote control or your house keys. From a safety standpoint, a garage door opener securely holds the garage door shut, preventing entry by intruders. It also has sensors that reverse the door when closing on an obstruction.
Installation procedures can vary from one manufacturer to another. However, many of the installation concepts are the same. The information in this tutorial will give you a good idea of what you can expect. The best advice is to also follow the instructions that come with your new garage door opener. |
Skill Level & Time
To Complete
• Beginner - 4 to 5 hours
• Intermediate - 3 to 4 hours
• Advanced - 2 to 3 hours
Cautions
Make sure that you have a grounded receptacle within reach of the new garage door opener. Ideally this should be a GFCI outlet (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter).
Before you install the garage door opener, make sure that the door is functioning properly and the spring tension is correct. To test the spring tension, open the door halfway and let go. If it stays in this position then the tension is correct. Otherwise you should contact a garage door specialist to adjust the tension.
Helpful Tips
There are a few different types of rails that garage door opener manufacturers use to guide the lifting mechanism. Newer openers use a square-shaped bar. Another possibility is a T-shaped rail. They both work well, but the assembly may differ.
|
 |
| 1. |
Align the T-rail (or bar-shaped rail) pieces in the proper sequence. If they have arrow decals, make sure they all point in the same direction. Securely bolt or lock them together. Align the idler pulley and bolt it to the door-end of the guide rails. |
|
|
| 2. |
Take the trolley and slide it onto the rails. Now you can bolt the rails to the opener unit. |
|
|
| 3. |
Using a screwdriver, slip it through a hole in the rails to hold the trolley in place. Now attach one end of the drive belt/chain to the trolley with the provided hardware. Wrap the drive belt/chain around the idler pulley and then around the sprocket on the opener unit. Finally, attach it to the other side of the trolley. |
|
|
| 4. |
Open the garage door to determine the highest point the door travels above the tracks. Add 2” to this measurement and mark it on the inside wall of your garage above the door. Determine the center of the door and make a mark that intersects the height mark. This is where you will mount the header bracket. You may need to attach a 2” x 4” horizontally across two studs if this point is not over a wall stud. Mount the header bracket in place. |
|
|
| 5. |
Close the garage door. Take the idler pulley end of the opener assembly and attach it to the header bracket above the door. Lift up the assembly and place it on a step ladder so that the rail is above the door tracks. |
|
|
| 6. |
Now open the door. Using shims, raise the opener unit until the rail is 2” above the open door. |
|
|
| 7. |
Take the mounting bracket and attach it to the garage ceiling joists with lag screws. Attach the opener unit to the bracket using the hanging brackets that came with the unit. To ensure stability of the opener unit, make sure the hanging brackets are angled or crossed. |
|
|
| 8. |
Now you can install the door controls. Attach the inside push button control near the door on the desired side of the garage. |
|
|
| 9. |
Install the electric eye sensors near the floor on either side of the garage door. Use insulated staples and fasten the wires every 20” along the garage framing. Run the wires for both the push button and the sensors to the opener unit and connect them to the proper terminals. |
|
|
| 10. |
Finally, attach the door bracket to the garage door in line with the guide rail. Make sure the door is tightly closed. Take the curved door arm and pin it to the door bracket. Take the straight door arm and pin it to the trolley. Align the two arms and bolt them together. Now you can plug in the opener unit and test your work. A garage door opener has controls that allow you to fine tune the downward and upward force. Adjust these according to manufacturer's specifications in the instruction book. |
|
|
|
|
|
