The average residential garage door is opened and closed approximately 1,500 times a year. That’s a lot of work for your garage door’s opening mechanism. At Creative Door Services™, we’re proud to provide a range of top-of-the-line garage door openers as well as comprehensive installation and maintenance services. However, even if you buy the best possible opener, it will eventually need to be replaced. Here’s what you should understand about the lifespan of your garage door opener and what you can do to extend it.

Normal lifespan

Most garage doors openers have an average lifespan of 10 to 15 years, but this isn’t a hard and fast rule. In fact, many factors can influence how long your opener will last. Among other things, the age and state of the other parts of the door will play a role. An opener that has to lift a poorly balanced door, for example, is likely to wear out quicker. Similarly, an opener that’s used many times throughout the day will wear out faster than one that’s only used once or twice daily.

How to extend the lifespan of your opener

The best way to maximize your opener’s lifespan is to stay on top of the required maintenance and make sure all garage door components remain in good shape. This means inspecting them regularly and performing all recommended maintenance tasks. It also means being aware of the typical lifespan for some of these parts. Here are some key components to keep a close eye on.

• Rollers. When rollers begin to degrade, the door may start moving less smoothly in the tracks. This will increase the strain on the opener and reduce its lifespan. Rollers come in various materials, but the most common ones are plastic, steel and nylon. Plastic rolls only last a few years while steel rollers with ball bearings will last between 10 and 15 years and nylon rollers 12 to 20 years.
  
• Tracks. The tracks house the rollers and guide them so that the door opens smoothly. If the tracks are warped or otherwise damaged, the door’s movements may become jerky. This will put more strain on the opener.
  
• Springs. Springs help keep the door balanced when moving. If they’re broken or damaged, this can seriously increase the wear on your opener or cause it to not work at all. Generally speaking, garage door springs will last around seven years.
  
• Cables. Frayed or otherwise weakened cables can break while the door is in motion. This could result in the door going off the tracks, which could severely damage multiple components of the system, especially the opener. Cables usually last eight to 10 years.

In addition to keeping an eye on aging parts, it’s crucial to ensure that every moving part is properly lubricated. If not, the opener has to work harder to move the door up and down, consequently putting considerable strain on the opener. Plus, since the system has to move the door every day, even a small increase in wear quickly adds up, shortening the lifespan of the opener by years.

Spotting signs of trouble

An important aspect of keeping your garage door opener in good shape is learning how to spot potential problems. This will help you catch issues before they become big problems and determine when it’s best to call a technician.

• Noisy operation. A new or louder noise from the operator is often reason enough to contact a technician. This is usually a sign that the opener is getting on in years.
  
• Slow movement. A slow-moving door can be caused by an array of potential problems. It’s important to get any sluggish movement checked out since it could indicate there’s a problem with a component. This may then damage the opener itself.
  
• Unreliable operation. If the door doesn’t close all the way, stops in the middle of a cycle or gets stuck only to resume normal operation moments later, chances are your opener needs professional attention.
  
• Failure to open. While a door could get stuck for many reasons (you can read our comprehensive article on the subject), a faulty opener is one potential cause.

For information about how to troubleshoot garage door openers made by Genie, refer to this guide.

Maintenance makes a difference

The best way to ensure that your garage door opener lasts for its full lifespan is to get the experts at Creative Door Services™ to take care of all ongoing maintenance tasks. Our flexible planned maintenance program can help you protect your investment by making sure that your entire garage door system, from opener to panels, is kept in top condition.

Garage door openers in Western Canada

At Creative Door Services™, we carry, install, repair and maintain Genie and LiftMaster garage door openers. We’re proud to offer only top-quality products from industry-leading brands. To learn more about our garage door products and services, contact us today. We have locations in Edmonton, Alberta; Fort McMurray, Alberta; Calgary, Alberta; Vancouver, British Columbia; Kelowna, British Columbia; Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; Regina, Saskatchewan; and Winnipeg, Manitoba.