Do you suspect that your garage door chain is becoming loose, yet you’re not quite sure? If you can confirm that it’s not as tight as it used to be, do you know what steps to take to fix it?
This is a very frequent problem with a garage door that uses a chain due to the repeated vibrations from the motor, the door’s weight, and normal wear and tear. But no worries: we’re here to help.
How to Check if Your Garage Door is Loose
Your garage door chain should maintain a proper level of tension for at least a year. Also, keep in mind that your garage door chain will always have some bowing due to gravity. You want to have some slack in the chain because if it’s too tight, it can cause damage.
However, if you find that the chain has begun to knock against the rail, it’s almost certainly too loose.
In addition to being noisy, a loose garage door chain may also:
- Force your garage door opener to work harder
- Cause your entire garage door system to operate less efficiently
- Result in your garage door’s jumping off its track
Therefore, you’ll want to tighten the chain just enough that it no longer knocks against the rail.
How to Tighten Your Garage Door Chain
Before you take the following steps, you must begin by taking several safety precautions.
Step One: Safety First
Be sure to close your garage door. Next, cut off the main power supply. This is a critical step. After all, because you’ll be using a stepladder to reach the door trolley, you could be seriously injured if someone opened the garage while you were working.
If you don’t know how to cut off the power supply, check your owner’s manual. In addition, be aware that most garage openers connect to the ceiling outlet. Accordingly, let everyone around you or in your home know that you’ll be working in the garage.
Next, disconnect the garage door from its opener. You should be able to draw down on the red manual release rope that hangs from the door trolley, if you use a square rail garage door opener. For a T-rail opener, there should also be a manual release rope. Pull this down and then pull it back again toward the opener.
The trolley connects to the garage door and moves together with the door while opening and closing. The trolley also connects with the opener carriage, which is the automated mechanism needed to move the door along the door track.
The release cord allows you to disconnect the trolley from the opener carriage. This enables the door to move along the track so that you can manually open and close the door.
Step Two: Pinpoint the Adjustment Bolt, Locking Nut, and Adjustment Nut
Now that you’ve taken all necessary safety precautions, it’s time to take the slack out of the garage door chain. Remember that you want to tighten it just enough so that it isn’t repeatedly hitting the rail.
You’ll be using two adjustable or half-inch wrenches, so bring both of them up with you. Climb up your stepladder so that you can view the door trolley assembly. You’ll see a bolt that’s threaded. Serving as a fastener, the bolt is usually approximately five to seven inches in length.
You’ll see two nuts screwed onto the blot, where one nut locks, and the other adjusts. A divider separates the two nuts. Also, the locking nut is nearer to the opener itself.
Step Three: Loosen the Locking Nut
Use a wrench to loosen the locking nut enough to give it a little room when you tighten the adjustment nut. But be careful not to loosen the locking nut too much since you want to maintain some slack in your garage door chain.
Step Four: Tighten the Adjustment Nut
Now use a wrench to tighten the adjustment nut. This will then pull the bolt in the opposite direction, increasing the tension in the garage door chain. Check to ensure that you’ve reached the proper level of tension, remembering to maintain the appropriate bit of slack.
The garage door should be approximately a quarter-inch above the rail for square rails and about a half-inch for T-rails at its midpoint.
Remember that it’s crucial not to tighten the chain too much since the chain rollers may wear out early due to excessive tension. Having the chain a bit loose is better than having it too tight.
Step Five: Retighten the Locking Nut
Now that you’ve achieved the correct tension, it’s time to retighten the locking nut. Two wrenches will be necessary. One will tighten the locking nut and the other will keep the adjustment nut in place.
Step Six: Reconnect the Power Supply
Plug in the garage door opener and reattach it. You can do so by:
- Pulling your garage door’s emergency manual release rope backwards in the direction of the opener. Continue doing so up till when the trolley moves back into its proper place.
or
- Using the wall button to open your garage door, which will snap the trolley back into place.
Step Seven: Re-Engage the Garage Door Opener
Once you’ve reconnected the garage door opener, the chain may bow or droop somewhat. Know that this is just fine, and that the garage door chain will recapture the proper, readjusted tension once your door is open.
Step Eight: Conduct Testing
Test whether your garage door chain now has the right level of tension. By opening and closing your garage door a couple of times, you can ensure that you have resolved the problem.
If you find that the chain continues to knock against its rail, repeat the steps you took before and tighten the adjustment nut a bit more.
What to Do if You Can’t Fix Your Garage Door Chain?
Be aware that tightening your garage door chain should be part of your regular maintenance routine. If you find that your garage door chain is still loose – or that the chain often goes slack again after you’ve tightened it – this indicates that it’s probably time to replace either the chain or the garage door opener.
If you’d prefer not to replace the chain or opener at this time, there are other options as well. For example, consider reaching out to your local garage door repair service for a quote to address the issue for you.
Another option is buying a new garage door opener.
Final Words
If your garage door chain is loose, don’t allow yourself to get frustrated every day when you open and close your garage. In many cases, you can quickly and easily fix the issue using the straightforward steps above. Or, if the chain is too far gone, repairing or replacing it can be as easy as making a call to schedule an appointment or going online to order a replacement.
