When your commercial garage door opener system fails should you consider a repair or simply replace the unit? We often hear this question at Overhead Door Co. of Central Jersey. The answer is "it depends". In many cases, a repair can be very effective and extremely reasonable when compared to the cost of a complete replacement. In other cases, a repair is an unwise choice. The problem is in distinguishing a simple repair requirement from a catastrophic equipment failure or excessive general wear on the entire system.
Automated commercial garage door operators are generally very reliable – but – as with all things mechanical – things can and sometimes do go wrong. This can be the result of wear, physical damage, power surge, or some other issue. These problems can range from a blocked photocell safety device to a damaged or defective reversing bottom edge to a motor failure and a host of other issues. Many service requirements such as safety device failures and travel limit adjustments might be required on a perfectly good automated opener system. With this service, items addressed in the system should be back in top condition and provide an extended useful service life.
On the other hand, a motor failure on a garage door automation system that has considerable wear and age-associated with it may be a bad gamble in terms of a service repair. The cost of a motor and the labor associated with replacing it may approach the cost of a new unit. In many cases, an automatic opener that requires a significant repair has been used enough that other excessive wear is present. When this is the case Overhead Door Co. of Central Jersey always makes every effort to educate the customer regarding the repair/replace options and the associated costs. One distinct advantage of replacement is when an older unit requiring a significant repair is involved in the warranty. A new unit would feature a manufacturer warranty, in the case of service, only the affected part would carry a warranty.
Also to be considered – we very often respond to a service call where a report of a faulty automation system is reported or indicated. Upon inspection, we find the overhead door is the root of the problem, not the automation system. Once again, this can be the result of wear or damage to the door itself. Often these problems can be easily and effectively corrected and the customer will enjoy many additional years of service. In other cases, an overhead door replacement or an operator replacement may need to be considered. Often times in these cases the existing automation system can be re-used and will continue to provide safe, effective operation of the door.
Our best advice – if you experience a malfunction with an automated door system at your facility secure the door and tag it "out of service" immediately. Continuing to operate the overhead door in most cases will do more damage and in many cases can be extremely dangerous.
Contact a professional service company like Overhead Door Co. of Central Jersey to evaluate the problem promptly. What may appear to be an expensive or serious problem to our customers oftentimes is a relatively simple and inexpensive repair and adjustment.
One other thought – it can be an excellent value to have a preventative maintenance inspection performed on automated access systems such as sectional, rolling, and high-speed doors on a regular basis.
These inspections can prevent downtime as well as damage from an overhead door and opener system breaking during usage. The interval for preventative maintenance should be based on how much usage the system receives, not the only time. During these inspections, we often discover potential problems that can be remedied before any serious damage or downtime occurs. For more information contact one of our commercial/industrial specialists at 908-722-5785.
