SUWANEE GARAGE DOOR REPAIR: MANUAL GARAGE DOORS VS ELECTRIC GARAGE DOORS

Suwanee Garage Door Repair knows that it can get confusing shopping around for a new garage door. But you have to start somewhere. Most people start with: Do I want a manual garage door or an electric garage door? You might be able to answer this question very quickly, without much consideration, because one option sounds much better to you than the other. But here, we will go through some of the differences between them. Obviously, electric doors operate with an electric source while manual doors have to be physically lifted and pulled shut by a person. This might automatically rule out either of the door types for you, but let’s dive a bit deeper.

 

Manual Garage Door Pros

• First and foremost, manual doors cost less than the alternative option. They are not only cheaper but they won’t need as much maintenance as an electric garage door will need over time.
• Manual garage doors are very traditional. Maybe the more technology changes, the more apprehensive you become. You might want this part of your home to just remain traditional, and a manual garage door will, in this case, provide exactly what you want.
• Manual garage doors are light weight, which is important to some. They use torsion springs to operate. Because of this, you won’t have to exert a whole lot of energy to lift the door. The springs do most of the work and heavy lifting for you.

 

Manual Garage Door Cons

• Manual garage doors don’t offer the convenience of being able to press the button on a remote control and enter your garage. If you get home and it is raining or snowing, you will have to get up and out of the car to lift open the garage door. If you have kids in tow, or groceries, this could be irritating.
• Manual garage doors can end up causing frustration when you open them. When it opens, you might have to move your vehicle back so that it doesn’t get hit.
• Nowadays, garage doors come with safety mechanisms, but this isn’t necessarily true for manual garage doors. There isn’t a safety feature that will prevent it from closing on a person or pet. An electric garage door, on the other hand, will sense if someone is under it, and will not close.

 

Electric garage doors are the other choice that you have. So let’s take a look at some of the benefits to having this type of garage door, as well as some of the downfalls. Again, everything depends on who you ask, and what your specific needs are.

 

Electric Garage Door Pros

• Electric garage doors offer convenience. You can simply press a button and have entry access to your garage. Whether you live in an area that sees a lot of snow, or you constantly have to carry things into your home, you might appreciate the ability to just be able to open the door with a button. This definitely saves the effort of having to get up and out of your car!
• There are many different styles, materials and colors to choose from. You are sure to find something that works perfectly for you!
• There are many different styles, materials and colors to choose from. You are sure to find something that works perfectly for you!

• An electric garage door can be set up to your smartphone. Yes, you can set your garage door up so that you can open and close it using your phone! This is a new feature that someone with a manual garage door wouldn’t be able to enjoy.
• Electric garage doors have more safety features. There are sensors that will know if something is in the garage door’s path, stopping it from closing on top of a person or animal.
• There is an extra layer of security. If you have a manual garage door without a lock installed on it, anyone can get in to your garage. This isn’t true if you have an electric garage door.

 

Electric Garage Door Cons

• Electric doors require regular maintenance.
• Electric garage doors cost more than manual doors. Obviously, they come with more features, so the price goes up. For some, this is a non-issue, but others might not want to stretch their budget.
• Electric garage doors take longer to set up than manual doors. They also should only ever be installed by a professional. Again, for many people, this isn’t an issue at all.
• Power issues can occur. There are many ways to troubleshoot an electric garage door that stops working due to power problems, but often times, you will find yourself needing to call in a professional. If you are a handy homeowner, or you enjoy DIY projects, just be careful when working with any electrical components.

 

Anyone in Suwanee, GA can reach out to Suwanee Garage Door Repair for help in choosing the best option. But we know that we have many readers from other parts of the world. Be sure to look up a reputable garage door installation service in your city. Make sure they are licensed and insured – you wouldn’t want someone without the proper experience attempting to install a new garage door for you! You also want to make sure that your information is coming from an accurate source. We can assure you that while one person might absolutely love an electric garage door, another person might truly prefer a manual garage door. It is all about preference, and in some cases, it is about what you are restricted to based off your neighborhood’s HOA. Look into the options, think about the pros and cons, and choose the best door for you. Whether you go with an electric or manual garage door, you are sure to enjoy the protection that it provides!

Most Common Garage Door Problems

Now that you have your new garage door installed, you’re starting to notice that the door isn’t coming down as quickly as it should. This may not be alarming to some people since the door eventually does what it is supposed to do but to others, it is clear that there is a problem with their garage door. The one thing you don’t want to occur is to need access to your garage and are unable to get it due to a problem with the door. At Suwanee Garage Door Repair in Suwanee, GA, we see some of the same problems time and time again. These problems are actually pretty common. However, no matter how common they are, the problem should still be addressed so that you are not left with an inoperable door on your hands.
Common Problems Experienced With Garage Doors

1. Garage Door Sticking

Whenever your garage door is stuck in the open or closed position, you can operate it manually. Your garage door opener is equipped with an emergency release cord, which is often red, hanging from the back of the opener. Once you pull the cord, it will disconnect the opener and enable you to manually open the door. We would have to say that this is a welcomed feature of the garage door opener since being stuck is certainly an emergency situation.
If the problem that you’re experiencing is in opening the door, you may have a problem with your springs. If they are weak, they will not be able to hold the door up; therefore, they will need to be repaired or replaced. A professional service technician should handle this job for you since they have the experience and qualifications.
Also, if your door is stuck and will not open, it might be necessary to completely unplug the garage door opener in order to reboot it. Your opener should also have indicator lights, which will let you know exactly where the problem is located. It could be something rather simple like changing the batteries to the remote or reprogramming the remote. If you’re having a problem with the wall-mounted opener, you may have electrical problems. Check the breakers to see if the panel was tripped. You should also look to see if there are any loose or disconnected wires, especially wires to the door sensors.

1. Unidentified Sounds from the Garage Door

Most often, when you notice sounds from your door, it is likely to loose parts that need to be lubricated or loose connections. Your door should be properly examined and where there are loose screws or bolts, they need to be tightened up. Make sure there is nothing obstructing the track. You can remedy most noise issues by spraying your springs with WD-40, hinges, rollers and your track system.

1. Door Will Not Close Completely

When you’re having trouble with your door closing all the way, this is often because of something blocking the doors safety sensors. In some cases, your door will not close because the sensor’s lens may be dirty or out of alignment. Any of these things will prevent your garage door from closing all the way. Your safety sensors are situated toward the bottom of your door. You can clean them yourself with a non-abrasive cleaner and by gently cleaning rubbing. Don’t rub too hard, or you’ll scratch the sensors. The sensors can also be adjusted. Just make sure the light is lit on both of them.

1. Door Reverses On Its Own

If you have a close limit switch on your remote, this may be the first thing to adjust. This feature is located on the back of your garage door opener and reads either up or down. Turn this indicator until the door is functioning properly again. If it still occurs, you can also use close force feature; also located in the rear of the opener. The knob should be turned clockwise in order to make the necessary adjustment.

1. Motor Continues Running

If you’re not experiencing any type of problems with the way the door is opening or closing, yet the motor is still running; this sounds like a problem related to your close limit switch. It probably needs to be adjusted. You’ll want to do this in increments and continue to check by trying to use the opener.
While we are happy to discuss some of the most common problems that you might experience with your garage door, we caution anyone who attempts to troubleshoot the problem. If you have experience in this area and feel confident in your ability to troubleshoot the problem, we feel fairly confident in telling you to go ahead and troubleshoot before contacting us. However, if you have never experienced any type of problems with your garage door opener, we would encourage you to allow one of our highly skilled and reliable service technicians to find and resolve the problem for you. This simply serves as a precaution to make sure that you and everyone around you, remains safe.
You should make sure that if you are determined to find the problem yourself by troubleshooting, that you are fully aware of the danger that exists when you do this on your own. We understand that there are many videos online that will show you how to make necessary repairs and adjustments to your garage door. The problem with this is that they don’t include safety precautions that you should take. However, you can consult the owner’s manual for your garage door opener, to make sure you’re safe when you’re making necessary repairs to your garage door. We suggest using the garage door opener’s manual because it is hardly ever a problem with the actual door. We almost always find the problem involves the garage door opener. Some openers are prone to giving you problems while others are less problematic. This is why we advise you to choose wisely when investing in a new opener.