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Garage door openers are pretty important tools for the automatic opening and closing of your garage door. With this motorized device, you will be able to remotely control your garage door. People often wonder if a garage door opener can overheat. Well, we will discuss these and more below.
Like every other motorized device, you should know that it is actually possible for your garage door opener to overheat. while it is possible, it is still uncommon for garage door openers to overheat. This is because this system has thermal features that regulate and prevent it from overheating. Once it begins to overheat, the thermal regulator switches off its functions.
Why Is My Garage Door Opener Overheating?
There are a few things that can cause the overheating of your garage door opener. Here are some of the things below.
1. Extreme Weather Conditions
This is the likeliest reason why your garage door opener is overheating. If your garage door opener is exposed to extreme weather conditions such as extreme heat, there is a pretty good chance overheating will occur if you keep on using the garage door in this condition.
2. Bad Wiring/ Installation
Bad wiring or installation is another thing that can make your garage door opener overheat. More often than not, most people who complain about their garage door overheating later find out that they made a mistake in the wiring or installation of the motor.
While bad wiring often results in the motorized devices not working at all, there are special circumstances where the garage door opener might work. However, while working, the device begins to overheat.
3. Internal Issues with the Garage Door
If there is any internal problem with your garage door opener, there is a pretty good chance that your garage door opener might overheat as a result of it. Although it is unlikely, there are occasions where there might be one or two internal problems with your garage door opener.
These problems, which range from a loose connection to a bad circuit, and a lot more, can make your garage door opener overheat.
Possible Solutions to Garage Door Overheating Problems
Here are some possible solutions you can adopt to your overheating problems.
1. Unplug your Garage Door Opener from the Power
This is the first thing you should do the moment you notice that your garage door opener is overheating. You must quickly unplug your garage door opener from the socket. That way, you prevent or reduce the risk of a fire accident.
Once you are done unplugging the garage door opener, all you need to do is wait for the motorized device to cool down, especially if the weather is extremely hot. Simply wait for the weather and device to cool down. Turn it on once the weather and the device are at a much better temperature.
2. Check the Wiring/Connection
The wiring is another thing that can make your garage door opener overheat. Unplug the device from the socket and wait for the device to cool down. Take your time to check the wiring the moment you notice your garage door overheating. Check if the wires are wrongly plugged into different ports or screws.
If they are wrongly plugged into the ports, unscrew the ports and connect them to their respective ports. Once you connect them successfully, plug the device back into power and test control it using your remote. Your device should begin to work perfectly without any overheating issues.
3. Call an Expert or Technician
If you have done the above steps and your garage door opener still overheats, then it is likely an internal fault or problem. Since you have no expertise in the dynamics of the connection or setup of the garage door opener, you should call a technician or expect to check out and fix the problem.
The expert should be able to check the garage door opener to confirm if there is any problem internally. If there is, he will fix the problem and set up your garage door opener correctly. Your garage door should begin to work perfectly once you do this.
Have problem with your garage door opener and want to have it replaced? Our previous content “How to replace damaged garage door opener” comes with every information you need to get started.
How to Prevent a Garage Door Opener from Overheating
Preventing a garage door opener from overheating is pretty simple. All you need to do is follow the steps below:
1. Regular Check and Maintainance
When it comes to motorized devices like these, proper maintenance is a very important thing. You need to take your time to check if your garage door opener is working properly. Simply do a routine check of your garage door opening ranging from the temperature when you use it, to the wiring and a host of other things.
If you need proper confirmation, you can call an expert to help check your device. The expert will let you know if there is any problem with your motorized device and things you can do to keep the device in a better working condition.
2. Install a Ventilation System
Installing a proper ventilation or cooling system is another thing you can do to keep your garage door opener from overheating. Since a hot atmosphere can make your motorized device overheat, you can simply install a good cooling system to reduce the effect of the room temperature in your garage.
There are different garage door ventilation systems you can install, and these systems come at different prices. You can see a ventilation or cooling system for as low as $300. Once installed, you shouldn’t have any overheating problems with your garage door opener.
3. Regulate the Number of Times You Use your Garage Door
Garage door openers can overheat due to excessive use and by regulating the number of times you use your garage door, you reduce the chances of your garage door overheating. You can ensure there at intervals at which you use your garage door. That means, using your garage door just once in 10 to 15 minutes.
When you ensure this, your garage door will not overheat as it would have already cooled down before your next usage.
4. Use the Door during Morning and Evening Hours
using your garage door during the morning and evening hours is one of the best methods you can use to maintain your garage door. When you use the garage door during the afternoon, there are chances it can overheat if you do not have proper ventilation or a cooling system.
Using the garage door opener during the morning or evening hours reduces the chances of your motorized devices overheating. This is because the room temperature of your garage is cooler and more conducive for motorized devices to function.
5. If You Must Use the Garage Door at Midday
Although using your garage door only during morning and evening hours might be difficult if you go out with your car in the afternoon, one way you can go about this is by using your motorized device as little as possible during the hottest hours of the day.
Since extreme weather conditions are one of the primary factors why your garage door might overheat, using your garage door as little as possible during the hottest time of the day reduces the chances of your garage door opener overheating.
Why Is my Garage Door Opener Smoking?
Garage door opener smoking is a common scenario that can happen if you use your garage door often are regularly during the door happen. There is no need to worry much when this happens as the door opener overheating is simply a result of the capacity burning out. It usually happens whenever the garage door opener has been in active use for a while.
All you need to do once you notice your door opener is smoking is unplug it from the socket. Once you unplug it, the garage door should cool down after a while. Once it cools down, you can plug the opener back in the socket and use it whenever you want the garage door open.
How long Does It Take for a Garage Door Opener to Cool Down?
The amount of time it takes for your garage door opener to cool down largely depends on two things namely: the brand of garage door opener you use and the type of cooling or ventilation system you use.
If you use a good cooling or ventilation system, your garage door opener should cool down within 10 to 15 minutes. However, it might take a little more if you do not use any ventilation system.
Conclusion
While your garage door opener overheating is highly unlikely, you must know that it is still pretty much possible to overheat in extreme circumstances. There are different things that can make your garage door opener overheat. We have these things in this article.
You must know that there are also things you can do to prevent your motorized device from overheating. All of these things and more have been discussed in this article. Simply read through to get all the information you need.
