Automatic garage door opener woes.

[TheJoker]

Guys and Gals,

As you're a bunch of very clever people with a lot of experience, I thought I'd air my latest problem and hope that someone has got a solution.

I've recently bought a garage door opener off eBay (£33 - kerr-ching! ). It's an old Henderson screw type. I've tested it and it works. So last night I proceeded to fitting it. After a few minor issues I got it fitted in the ceiling. It's not perfect, but it sits there quite nice and snuggly. The door moves up and down just "fine".

Now here's my problem:
When the garage door is at the topmost position, it's in a "notch" to keep it up. As in, if you push it slowly up, just before the end, you can feel it going into a notch that keeps it up. Naturally when the motor tries to push the door down, it can't do it because the door is in this "notch". There's no way I could push it down, well possibly with a hydraulic jack between the top of the door and one of the rafters in the ceiling. Not ideal.

How do I solve this? Can I get rid of the "notch"? How light (easy to open/move) does the door need to be to be able to use an automatic door opener?

Any help appreciated - I think I've got most things solved apart from this; closing the door.

 

[StockEngineer]

From what I have seen a friend do, he straightened the notch and added counterbalance springs to the door.

 

[ford34/2]

garage door opener.

If I remember right take as much tension off the springs as possible, the motor will lift the door and close it on its own, and I THINK THERE WAS 2LITTLE ADJUSTABLE MICRO SWITHES located on THE ALLUMINIOUM SUPPORT ARM THAT THE WORM RUNS IN, SET THEM JUST RIGHT.
(sorry hit the caps key) hand sender unit and receiver are programable with 10 little slide switches to select a unique code.make sure same code is on them both,
relase the motor to manual,and the door must operate completly free with no tight spots, when it does, re engage the motor.keep everything well lubricated but beware of over greasing the worm as Henderson supplied some red grease for this purpose.
Stan

 

[TheJoker]

Thanks gents!

I'm not sure how to remove the notches, but could always weight the door down, but then that'd require more power to lift it.

I've got all the electrickery sorted, and at the moment they're not connected. I do have two of those "limiters" that stop the lifter going too far closed or open. I bought some remote controls off eBay for £33 and I got it connected well; both buttons work, one for the door, the other for the courtesy light.

I did some research yesterday, and it seems like I need a "Canopy Arm". I've ordered one from Wickes and it should arrive today. This should apply some downward force as well as pushing the door shut. If this doesn't work, then I'm back to square one; some hack or a new up-n-over door (= £££££££££).

We'll see how it goes.

Thanks for your input!

 

[ford34/2]

Canopy doors

I`m guessing when you mention you need a canopy arm that the door you have has a long spring on top of the door, classed as a canopy door as oposed to the fully retractable door. so you may have a Merlin,Regent,Victoria, Doric etc. when open, part of the door is still outside of the garage.
I fitted the very first working model For Hendersons at Bowburn in an exhibition display Launch event in Glasgow Exhibition centre.
Now if this is a "Canopy door" as well as the canopy arm you also need two curved jamb channels to replace the two straight ones currently screwed to the frame, you will appreciate the arc of the door is not a true radius and needs to be compensated with the curved channels.
Now On that particular day with every design engineer and director from the UK watching the build of a mock garage and door fit, it didnt work and wouldnt work. it was fitted to a brand new factory supplied door. Eventually by chance we slackend off the tension in the overhead spring, you need to put the CROOK pin in the RH bracket go to the other end put in your tommy bar loosen the grub screw or screws and using two tommy bars, genty slacken off the tension. a couple of turne or maybe 3 will do.BE CAREFUll as dropping a tommy bar means the spring unwinds. So an excellent idea is to get a piece of chalk and make a line from one end to the other, on the surface of the spring, if you loose the tension rewind it back up with the tommy bars till the chalk lines are all in line, forming the continous chalk mark you made, gonna be about 22 full turns I think
I have quite a bit of trouble shooting paper work drawings and diagrams copies of instructions etc in a Henderson warrany engineers manual-- yeah I was one of the counrtys first warranty engineers for the North East sorting out on site warrany claims for Hendersons.
Sadly time moves on and I havent been envolved in garage doors for -could be 25 years, dont time fly so get back to me if you think I can help you.

Just an edit, the centre line of the worm screw in the operator should be 100/130mm above the top of the door, but if possible the bent arm that attaches to the top of the door should be inclined up to the door fixing and not Horizontal,115 would be ideal

Stan

 

[TheJoker]

Thanks for that Stan! The door doesn't have a spring at the top but two side springs completely enclosed in the channels. I can see them, but that's about all. I think the "notch" is done but some plastic sleeves "in there somewhere".

I don't really understand what you mean by this?

you also need two curved jamb channels to replace the two straight ones currently screwed to the frame,

I doubt I can do anything to this door at all. It all seems very non-serviceable.

I've read the instructions on fitting the Canopy Arm, so I'm going to try to fit that according to the instructions - which is pretty much inline with what you've said, Stan.

Thanks!

 

[ford34/2]

Garage door

Dooesnt sound like you have a Henderson door, maybe a Cardale,
Good news is the description you gave makes this a retractable door, the door when it opens goes inside the garage.
It will not need curved jame channels,
just attach the arm to the top of the door, make sure the operator is level and well braced to stop it moving about-flexing etc.
If I remember the springs are manufactured and non adjustable, when its all fitted together release the arm from the worm drive and operate the door by hand, there should be no tight spots, the attached arm will move along the worm.
click it back in and engage it on the worm and test

I have wiring diagrams as well you can attach an internal bell push if you have access to the garage from inside from the house, saves having to have the remote. you can also have an emergency key operated outside switch, and do remember to lock the handle in the OPEN position, or shorten the cable to stop the latch engaging in the keep,there is a lock release attachment as well. so in effect all that keeps the door closed/locked is the resistance of the electronic operator

Stan
keep it updated.
Ta
Stan

 

[TheJoker]

Stan,

It is a canopy door, but I think the design is a bit more modern than the "classic top spring" ones. The door does not have any horizontal runners, only vertical ones in the frame, and it does protruded out a bit on the outside of the garage. I don't know the name of it until I take my insulation off. I think there's a sticker hidden under there.

I did get the complete wiring diagram and manual with the opener so I've figure out how to connect the remote controls - and the wall-button. Both the remotes and wall buttons will operate the courtesy light and the door mechanism.
See here for video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw9hynWvUl8

I'm just worried that the canopy arm isn't going to be much help, but we'll see after tonight, hopefully. I'd hate to have to buy a £330 door to accompany my £33 opener. Hohum!

Thanks again, Stan!

 

[ford34/2]

opener

Looks a newer model of the one they launched in 87/88 or so, the arm that is moving was the standard hendersaon arm, the flexible one you are looking at might help the door/closer to operate through a true radius, which a henderson Canopy doesnt dowith out the curved jamb channels.

I think you might well have a " Gardor" canopy

if it is then Garador have an excellent web site and all the instalations, information etc,is available, so it may well be, perserveering to marry the two together. they do or did an operator very similar to the chain operator of hendersons, the old830 made by the Genie company, a division of the N/American phillips corporation- well it was 20 + years ago.

Stan

 

[TheJoker]

The opener does have its Genie labels still on it, along with the Henderson labels. I'll have a look what door it is when go out to the garage.

Thanks!

 

[TheJoker]

Got it all installed now, and to my surprise that "Canopy Arm" does make it work.

Here's the arm mounted. I need to replace my insulation around it.

The door, by the way, is a Garadoor Horizon 90 7066 Framed door.

Here's the unit, dedicated power supply and remote receiver.

Sometimes it doesn't want to pull the door fully up to the horizontal position. It just seems a bit too heavy. It could be that the damp insulation foam I added last night could be affecting it a bit.
However, there's two dials on the unit, and I'm wondering what they are. I'm hoping they are some sort of resistance controls for when the door should stop and reverse in case of "blockages"?

You can see the dials on this photo, down to the right.

One has got an up-arrow next to it, the other one has got a down-arrow.

Does anyone know what these dials do?

Either way, very pleased with the installation! Thanks for all your insight and help!

 

[ford34/2]

Well impressed.

you will find a lot of info on the Garadoor website,
http://www.garador.co.uk/techpages/FittingInstructions/Garamatic79.pdf

Have a look at
page 18, fitting instructions etc.
page 31 Electrical
page 35 electrical info.
this new system seems to have a memory stored into the circuit board, if you are unlucky to have this then it may need deleting and reprogramming,
if not then a wee twiddle of the pots no more than about a quarter turn a time might well help.

well done

Stan

 

[TheJoker]

Stan, the opener I have is an old Henderson/Genie. I have the manual for it, but I can't remember seeing any info on the knobs. I might just give them a wee twiddle to see if anything improves and figure out what they do. I doubt there's anything in this model that's got any sort of micro chip capacity.

Thanks!

 

[ford34/2]

Very much doubt any sort of electrical wizzadry on the old model., but the general design and layout does not seem to have changed much in the 20 odd years.Much of the website information is still relevant even though slight design changes and improvements.

main thing, mark where they are preset now, and then twiddle!!.

do remember to test the downward pressure so that it does not crush any obsticle in its way, on the downward action, simply push against it on the way down, it should sense the obstruction and stop or reverse.
I`ll have a look but I do not think I have any relative electrical info in any paperwork I have.
There may well be a "clutch" --adjustable in the centre of the unit. it should just have sufficient bite to open and to close the door, and slip if there is an obstruction any where in its travel.
Stan

 

[TheJoker]

Thanks for the info, Stan! Don't bother looking, it works reasonably fine as it is, and any improvement is just a bonus. I'll mark, or take a snapshot, of the knobs as they are before I change anything, that way I shouldn't be able to screw things up.

Thanks again!