How to Tighten A Loose Garage Door Chain
Like most anything in your Costa Mesa home, your garage door opener mechanisms require periodic maintenance to keep them working properly. Over time, your garage door chain may become loose and require tightening. A loose garage door chain has less power to open and close the garage door, and it can often create a loud and annoying sound as the slack hits the door. Tightening up the slack on your garage door will allow it to run more efficiently and will prevent loud noises that disrupt your home. While this is not an intensive or dangerous process, it does require accuracy and exceptional attention to detail. If you need assistance tightening your chain or with any other garage door repair services, call a professional at All Right Garage Door to ensure the job gets done right. Here is how to tighten a loose garage door chain:
Check for larger issues
Before beginning the process, open and close your garage door several times to make sure that there are no bigger issues with the door, springs, or motor. Listen for unusual noises other than the loose chain to see if the larger chain drive system is having problems. Be sure to also look over the chain to make sure that it is not broken and does not require replacement or repair.
Turn off the power & disconnect the door
When you’re ready to begin, make sure that your garage door is fully closed. You should then disconnect the chain from the garage door using the emergency release rope and disconnect the garage door opener from the power supply by removing the wires.
Use the adjustment bolt to tighten the chain
Locate the adjustment bolt – a bolt with a pair of adjusting nuts on either side of the garage door that is connected to the chain. Once you’ve located it, you can use a wrench to loosen the adjusting nut closest to the opener head by turning it counterclockwise. Make sure to hold the other adjusting nut in your hand to keep it from turning. Once this is done, use your wrench to rotate the other nut clockwise to tighten the chain. Make sure not to over-tighten the chain, as this can cause premature wear on the chain rollers. Adjust it so that the center of the chain is about a ½ inch from the base of the railing. You should then rotate the first adjustment nut clockwise to lock the chain back into place.
Re-connect everything
Once you have finished tightening the chain, reconnect the garage door to your opener and replace the power supply wires to the opener head. You may now test your garage door to make sure that it opens and closes as usual.
If you have a loose garage door chain, or if you’re experiencing any other issues with your garage door mechanisms, call a professional garage door repair service to schedule an inspection or maintenance service today. At All Right Garage Door, we provide high-quality repairs with unbeatable customer service to ensure that you are completely satisfied with our services every time. To get started with a free estimate today, call (714) 726-225 and learn more.
