If your garage door operator is no longer connected to your garage door for any reason, you might be wondering what you need to do to get things back to normal.

Maybe you had a power outage or a malfunction and needed to get out, and thus used the manual disengage. If your door is disconnected from the operator and you aren’t sure why, you should probably get a professional to take a look — just to be safe.

But otherwise, you’ll want to follow these steps:

1) Fully Close Your Garage Door

To reconnect your garage door opener, you’ll need to start with your garage door completely closed in the down position — make sure it’s all the way down, and nothing looks out of place or off-center. If you can’t fully close your garage door or something is wrong, stop and contact a professional.

2) Run the Garage Door and See If It Reconnects

Press the button on your garage door opener and see if it figures it out on its own. If you have separate buttons for open and close, press the “close” button, so the operator will move into the “closed” position and match up with the door. If this doesn’t work or nothing happens, you’ll want to move to the next step.

3) Use the Emergency Release

If your garage door still isn’t opening and closing with the opener, pull the emergency release cord toward the door and try opening and closing it manually. You should be able to do so without difficulty — if the door feels too heavy to operate manually, you have a problem with your spring and will need repairs.

The garage door opener doesn’t provide the power to lift the heavy weight of the door — so if the spring isn’t doing its job, the garage door operator can’t either.

4) Run Another Complete Cycle

Once you’ve checked everything, completely disconnected your door from the operator with the release, and reseated it in a fully closed position, run a full close-and-open cycle on your door opener. It should click together the operator and the “trolley” on your garage door in the process, resetting everything back to how you expect it to operate. If not, you’ll want to…

5) Check Owner’s Manual for Additional Steps

If these steps don’t work for your garage door, or don’t seem to fit with what you’re seeing, then you’ll want to check the model of your garage door operator and look up the owner’s manual (assuming you don’t have yours stored somewhere handy). Some brands have additional steps you’ll need to follow to get everything working right.

If you can’t find an owner’s manual or it offers no additional insight, your final step will be…

6) Contact Professionals for Help

If you can’t get your garage door opener reconnected to your garage door, it’s time to contact a professional. Don’t try to DIY garage door repairs; there’s a lot of weight and force involved and minor accidents can have drastic consequences.

If you’re in our service area, Overhead Door Co. of Indianapolis & Muncie will be glad to help you out — contact us today to request assistance.

When you’re in a hurry to leave, a garage door that won’t open can be frustrating. Although most garage door repairs should be left to a professional due to the inherent danger of the heavy door and its powerful springs, there are a few things you can check before resorting to a service call.

Make sure children and pets are clear of the door, then check for the following issues:

1. Dead remote batteries

If it’s been a while since you last checked the batteries in the remote, try replacing them. Even if the batteries aren’t very old, poor-quality batteries or accidental button presses could drain the batteries faster than normal.

2. An engaged manual lock

When you have a garage door opener installed, the manual lock is rarely used, but it may have been turned by accident or by curious children. Try unlocking it and make sure the lock bars retract fully.

3. A malfunctioning photo sensor

If the sensors on each side of the door are dirty or not aligned properly, the light beam that detects objects in the path of the door could be interrupted, preventing the door from working properly.

Try cleaning the sensors and aligning them according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If that doesn’t work, you may need to schedule garage door repairs.

4. An unhooked disconnect

If your garage door opener is running but the door isn’t moving, the disconnect may have been unlatched, which allows the door to be operated manually. Simply re-engage the disconnect and press the button to open the door again. If the door still won’t move, call your local garage door professional for repairs.

5. Misaligned tracks

The tracks at each side of the door guide the door up and down using a set of rollers that ride inside the track. If the track is bent or the rollers have come loose from the door or the track, the door may bind and get stuck.

Track repairs should be left to a garage door repair company because if the door falls or comes loose, it could cause serious injuries.

6. Broken springs

The torsion springs for your garage door hold most of the door’s weight as it moves, reducing the amount of force you need to raise it. If these springs break, your garage door opener may not have enough power to lift the door successfully.

Because the springs are under extreme tension, it’s important to call a professional garage door service for spring repairs or replacement to avoid any chance of injuries.

Garage Door Repairs & Replacement in Indianapolis

When you need help with your garage door in Indianapolis, Muncie, or the surrounding areas, call Overhead Door Co. of Indianapolis and Muncie. We offer garage door repairs, garage door replacements, garage door opener repairs and more.

Our company has installed and repaired garage doors since 1921, and in addition to garage door services, we also offer door installations, window replacement, air sealing and insulation services.

Call 317-489-0825 in Indianapolis or 765-215-2932 in Muncie, or contact us for expert garage door maintenance, repairs, installations and more.

There are many things to consider when choosing a new garage door for your home or business, from color and style to material types, but one of the most important is size.

If you’re building a new home or commercial building, you’re limited only by the products available in your area, but if you’re replacing an existing garage door, you’ll be constrained by the size of the current rough opening.

Garage Doors for Your Indianapolis Home

How large of a garage door do you need? It’s best to consult your garage door installer, but here are a few factors that can impact the size of your garage door:

• The rough opening: This is the framing that supports the garage door, and if it’s already built, you’ll be limited to those dimensions unless you do some costly remodeling.
• The size of your garage: The door should scale well to the size of your garage, with smaller doors for smaller buildings.
• Location: In an attached garage, there may be more limits to garage door size than in a stand-alone garage.
• The number and type of vehicles: If you have a tall SUV, a larger garage door will be required, while two or more vehicles may require a wide grade door or multiple doors.

Need help determining the best garage door size for your needs? Contact our experts today.

Standard Garage Door Sizes

At Overhead Door Co. of Indianapolis & Muncie, our residential garage doors are available in standard heights of 7 or 8 feet tall, and our standard widths include:

• 8 feet
• 9 feet
• 10 feet
• 12 feet
• 15 feet
• 16 feet
• 18 feet
• 20 feet

Sizes will vary by door series. Talk to our team at Overhead Door Co. of Indianapolis & Muncie to learn which series offer your required width and height options.

Commercial Garage Doors

Garage doors for commercial, industrial or agricultural applications tend to be much larger than residential garage doors. The size you need will depend on:

• The size of the opening and the building
• The equipment that will be stored or used in the building
• The opening necessary to receive trucks and deliveries

Our commercial doors are available in sizes equivalent to residential garage doors and larger sizes for shops, warehouses, or barns that need to service heavy equipment.

Our largest commercial doors can fit openings of up to:

Width

• 30 feet wide
• 40 feet wide
• 41 feet wide

Height

• 28 feet tall
• 32 feet tall

Side-folding security grilles have virtually no width limit.

Contact our team today to learn more about the commercial garage doors or security doors available for your application.

Residential & Commercial Garage Doors in Indiana

When you’re ready to order a new garage door for your central Indiana home or business, turn to our experts at Overhead Door Co. of Indianapolis & Muncie. We can walk you through your options and help you select the best garage door for your needs.

We offer professional garage door installations, as well as garage door repairs, maintenance, garage door opener services and 24/7 emergency service. We have over 90 years of service in the Indianapolis area, so you know you can count on us for quality work and exceptional service.

Call 317-489-0825 in Indianapolis, 765-215-2932 in Muncie or contact us online to start designing your garage door today.

If you’re of a certain age, you likely remember what it used to take to open a garage door: putting the car in neutral, running out to lift the door, parking your car inside, and then manually lowering the door behind it. Those days are thankfully long gone, and today consumers have a wide range of garage door openers to choose from.

Overhead Door Co. of Indianapolis & Muncie offers a full line of automatic garage door openers, one of which is sure to be perfect for your needs. Let’s take a look at the different garage door openers now available, as well as all the options and features most modern models have.

Things to Consider Before Buying a Garage Door Opener

Before you dive in and buy a new garage door opener, it’s important to know what your basic needs are in terms of power, safety features, and installation requirements.

• Horsepower. How powerful your new garage door opener needs to be depends on the size and weight of the garage door. For instance, if the garage door is wider than 20 feet, you’ll need at least a 1/2-HP opener, the most popular power rating for openers. Opening and closing speeds also vary according to horsepower, but the average opener lifts a garage door about six to eight inches per second. A good rule of thumb is to go for an opener that’s a little overpowered for your door. Heavier garage doors with insulation call for at least 3/4 HP, and solid wood doors need a 1-HP model.
• Extension kits. If your garage door’s height is greater than seven feet, you’ll need an extension kit so the door opener can handle it.
• Installation. While it’s certainly possible to install a garage opener yourself, hiring a professional is a relatively inexpensive option if you don’t have the time or skills to do it.

Types of Garage Door Openers

There are three main types of garage door openers:

1. Chain-driven models are one of the most affordable and offer highly dependable performance.
2. Belt-driven openers use a metal-reinforced belt to open the garage door. More expensive than chain-driven ones, they offer superior, quiet operation.
3. Screw-driven models have a steel rod that runs on a lifting device. These models are noisier than chain- and belt-driven models but can be a good, affordable, and low-maintenance option.

Safety Features

No matter which type of garage door opener you choose, safety is an important feature to consider. Every year, tens of thousands of Americans who thought their garage door was safe get injured. Pinched fingers are the most common injury, followed by being struck by a falling garage door and lacerations from broken garage door windows. A trusted professional can ensure your garage door and opener are both installed safely. Here are the safety features to look for.

• Automatic reverse. Federal law since 1993, automatic reverse switches the direction of a closing garage door when it encounters an unexpected object. The two most common mechanisms are electronic sensors at the base of the door and photoelectric eyes mounted at the door’s threshold that sense when something obstructs it. If you still have an older model garage door opener, investing in a newer version ensures you’re getting the latest in this safety technology.
• Rolling code. The latest wireless technologies are great, but they also leave your opener vulnerable to hacks. Rolling code technology randomly chooses a new code every time you use the opener. Standard on all garage door openers since the early ’90s, rolling code protects your car, your home, and most importantly, you and your family.
• Manual release. There are still times you’ll need to revert to the old-fashioned way of opening the garage door by hand. Modern garage doors are much heavier than older ones, but a spring system offers enough counter-balance so the door can be manually lifted. A manual release comes in handy if there’s a power loss at your home. It’s also a great diagnostic tool for checking the garage door is properly balanced.
• Security lights. Security lights turn on automatically when the garage door opener is activated. They offer many benefits, including avoiding hitting something in the garage, making it easy to navigate the garage once you exit the car, and deterring intruders. While many models have a security light as a standard feature, newer models are connected to a motion detector, so the light also goes on when you enter the garage from an interior door.

Another feature to consider is a battery backup. Together with manual releases, battery backup ensures you can open your garage door during a temporary power outage. Once the power’s back on, the battery backup begins to recharge itself.

Central Indiana Garage Door Openers

Overhead Door Co. of Indianapolis and Muncie proudly offers the finest in garage door and openers sales and service for our residential and commercial customers. To learn more or to upgrade your existing garage door opener, contact us today at 317-489-0825 or 765-215-2932.

Federal consumer safety regulations require all garage door opener (GDO) systems to include sensors “to protect against entrapment.” It was updated in 2016 with new standards for GDO edge sensors.

If you think the garage door sensors are more of a nuisance than an operational aid, think again! Children and pets make fast, unpredictable movements, and they are most likely to suffer injury if a GDO malfunctions.

Why We Need Garage Door Sensors

GDO sensors are located close to the ground. The main reason we need garage door sensors is to protect property and people from injury. Unfortunately, burglars see GDOs as a great opportunity to sneak inside a garage. If your door hesitates or delays shutting, it’s a clue something or someone may have blocked the opening, even for a second.

Like your plumbing, heating and cooling systems, it’s important to keep your home’s garage door opener and sensors in good working order.

How They Work

Two aligned sensors are located on either side of your garage door, about 6″ from the floor. An infrared beam passes between the sensors and if anything blocks the beam, the door automatically stops. Many garage door systems are “universal.” This means they’ll work with most brand-name GDOs to provide the same level of safety and security.

6 Garage Door Maintenance Tips

Never attempt to “fix” the cables that raise and lower your door. They have enough tension to cause serious injury or death. If you suspect your rollers or cables need repair, contact your local overhead garage door technicians immediately.

Here are 6 maintenance tips to keep your garage door opener and its sensors working effectively:

1. Clean the sensors – The sensor “eyes” can get dirty; simply wipe them clean occasionally.
2. Look/listen – Pay attention to your door’s appearance as it rolls up and down. Listen for unusual sounds.
3. Replace the weatherstripping – The rubber strip on the bottom of your door can crack and deteriorate with age. You can buy replacement strips at most hardware/home improvement stores.
4. Test the sensors – Put a small object on the ground in the door’s path. The door should immediately reverse when it touches the object. As it’s coming down, pass your leg into its path. The door should immediately reverse.
5. Visually inspect the door – Look for cracks or warps in the wood. Steel doors may develop rust spots that need to be treated.
6. Wash your door – You should consider using a mild all-purpose cleaner or even soap and water to clean your door at least once every 2-3 months or more.

Clues Your Garage Door Opener Sensors Are Malfunctioning

The main causes of GDO sensor problems are dirty lenses, damaged components or misalignments. Your first task is to clean the lenses. If that isn’t the fix, it’s time to call your Central Indiana garage door professionals.

If one or both sensors malfunction:

• Your door may stop midway and reverse direction.
• It might not open.
• It may open but not close.
• You may see a flashing light on the sensor’s overhead unit or wall panel.

What Do the Lights and Colors Mean?

Your GDO manufacturer will have detailed information about your opener and sensors on its website. Flashing lights indicate a problem. A glowing amber light is normal; it’s usually part of the door’s descending “line of sight” or the “transmitter.”

Generally speaking:

• Green is good. Your “receiver” is a green LED and should be on.
• Red is a problem.

Central Indiana Garage Doors & Openers

Overhead Door Co. of Indianapolis and Muncie is proud to be the most knowledgeable and experienced provider of garage doors and openers sales and service for homes and businesses.

Be sure to check out our specials. Call 317-489-0825 in Indianapolis or 765-215-2932 in Muncie, or contact Overhead Door Co. to learn more about garage door sensors.

When you come home from a long day at work, or you’re running late on the way out the door, a malfunctioning garage door can make a bad day even worse.

Though most garage door repairs should be handled by a professional, here are a few troubleshooting tips that can help you solve minor problems or at least determine if a professional is needed.

1. The Garage Door Won’t Go Up

If the garage door won’t open, check the batteries in your remote control, and be sure that the garage door opener is plugged in and the breaker has not tripped. Check the garage door lock to ensure it hasn’t been manually locked by accident.

If the door still won’t open, with the door in the closed position, pull the release cord on the trolley and try to manually open the door. If it won’t move or is too heavy to lift, there may be something physically wrong with the garage door, such as a spring, rollers that are frozen or binding, pinched or misaligned tracks or broken lift cables.

2. The Garage Door Won’t Go Down

If the door will work only when the wall switch or keypad is used, make sure the garage door sensors are aligned properly, as the wall switch acts as a safety override. Check for leaves, toys and debris at the bottom of the garage door opening, as well, because these may trip the safety sensor.

If the garage door closes but then opens again, the limit switch may need to be adjusted. Use a screwdriver to adjust the down limit switch one turn at a time until the door closes and stays closed.

If the garage door still doesn’t close, there may be psychical damage to the springs, tracks, rollers, cables or hinges that need professional repairs.

3. The Wall Switch Stopped Working

If you can open the garage door with your remote but not the wall switch, the wall switch may be faulty. Call a professional to have it replaced or verify it has failed by removing the switch from the wall and touching the two wires together.

They are low voltage wires for a simple on-off switch, so they’re relatively safe to handle, just avoid touching the bare copper.

4. The Remote Control for the Garage Door Opener Has Failed

When a garage door remote stops working, replace the batteries with a fresh set before trying anything else. If that doesn’t work, make sure the garage door opener is plugged in and the breaker for the circuit is not tripped.

If the remote still won’t work, but the wall switch does, consider getting a replacement remote or a new receiver and remote set.

5. The Garage Door Opener Is Making Unusual Noises

If your garage door opener is making grinding noises, the main drive gear may be worn or faulty. It’s best to have it professionally repaired or replaced. If you hear squealing or creaking sounds, the hinges or rollers may need a bit of lubrication.

If your garage door opener is making buzzing or humming sounds, the motor or door may be stuck, or the motor may be failing. The power should be shut off immediately to avoid motor damage if the door is physically stuck.

Garage Door Repair in Indianapolis & Muncie, IN

Do you need help with your garage door? Choose our experts at Overhead Door Co. of Indianapolis & Muncie for professional garage door repairs and garage door replacements anywhere in Indianapolis or Muncie.

Our company has been in business for over 90 years, providing quality garage doors and many other valuable products and services, from entry doors to replacement windows and home insulation.

We feature quality work, exceptional service and impressive value, plus a skilled team that’s dedicated to meeting your needs.

Call 317-489-0825 today in Indianapolis or 765-215-2932 in Muncie, or contact us online to schedule garage door service and repairs anywhere in Central Indiana.