Garage Door Opener Installation

Garage door openers have become an indispensable part of our daily lives due to the massive amount of conveniences offered by them. A garage door can be operated either by a garage door remote or by an outdoor keypad where you punch in your code to open or close the garage door.

As such, motorized garage door openers make life easier for those days when you arrive home after a tiring day because you don’t have to get out of your car to open the garage door.

Apart from convenience, garage door openers also offer a certain amount of security and safety because they keep your garage door shut unless opened by the garage door remote or by punching in your code on the keypad. This ensures that all the stuff you have kept in the garage remains safe from intruders and thieves.

There are different types of motorized garage door openers which one can fit onto the garage door. Most of these garage door openers come with installation manuals. It is quite simple and easy to follow these manuals and install the garage door opener. The installation guide given below will, therefore give you an idea of the general procedure for installation of a garage door opener.

Garage Door Opener Installation: Garage Door Installation Tips

Before you begin to install your garage door, there are a few materials and tools which you must assemble in one place. Apart from the garage door opener, you must have a mounting bracket, lag screws, some 2" X 4" pieces, shims and insulated staples. Also keep the following tools handy: screw drivers, wrenches, a drill, drill bits, a socket set, wire cutter, a pair of pliers, a hammer, a tape measure, a hacksaw, level, and a step ladder.

Also make sure that you have a grounded receptacle (a ground fault circuit interrupter outlet) which is close to the garage door opener.

Then, make sure that the door tension is correct. To test this, open the door about half way, and let go. If the door stays in position, then the spring tension is correct. If not, then get this fixed before you begin installing the garage door opener system.

• Now to begin the process of installing the garage door opener, align all the rail pieces of the garage door opener in the proper sequence, as per the installation manual. Bolt them or lock them in place.
• Align the idler pulley. Bolt it to the door end of the guide rails.
• After sliding the trolley on the rails, bolt the rails to the opener unit.
• Use a screwdriver to slip the drive belt or the chain through the hole in the rails which hold the trolley in place.
• Attach one end of the chain or drive belt to the trolley. Often, hardware to do this will be provided with the garage door opener kit.
• Wrap the drive belt or chain around the idler pulley, and then around the sprocket on the opener unit. Then attach the other end of the chain or belt to the other side of the trolley.
• Open the garage door completely so that you know the highest point to where the door travels above the tracks. Add 2" to this and mark it on the inside wall of your garage and above the door.
• With a tape measure, determine the center of your garage door, and on the inside wall, mark a place which will intersect the line that intersects the line which is 2" above the garage door (the line which was marked before).
• This intersection is where the header bracket will be mounted. If this point is not over a wall stud, then attach a 2" X 4" horizontally across 2 studs.
• Mount the header bracket.
• Close the garage door.
• Attach the idler pulley end of the opener assembly to the header bracket above the garage door. Lift up the assembly and place it on the step ladder in such a way that the rail is above the door tracks.
• Open the garage door. Use the shims to raise the opener unit until it is 2" above the open door.
• Attach the mounting bracket to the garage ceiling joists with lag screws.
• Attach the opener unit to the bracket with the hanging brackets which come with the garage door opener kit. Make sure that the hanging brackets are either angled or crossed.
• Install the door controls. Attach the push button controls near the door on the garage wall.
• Install the electric eye sensors near the floor, on both sides of the garage door, on the inside of the garage.
• Fasten all the wires with the insulated staples at every 15 – 20" along the garage frame. Connect the wires to the proper terminals as per the instruction manual.
• Attach the garage door bracket to the garage door. Make sure it is in line with the guide rail.
• Close the door tightly.
• Pin the curved door arm to the door bracket. Pin the curved door arm to the trolley.
• Align these two arms and bolt them together.
• Plug in the opener unit and test.
• Adjust the door control unit’s controls to fine tune the downward and upward force of the garage door opener system based on the procedures given in the instruction manual.

Your garage door opener is now installed and ready for use!!