Cold Weather Impacts Garage Door Openers
Your garage door opener may struggle to open the door in cold weather, which could lead to breakage or higher energy costs. In some cases, garage doors may stick in cold weather, meaning the opener may not be able to open the door at all.
The question is, what steps can you take to maintain the integrity of your garage door and garage door opener in cold weather?
How Cold Weather Affects Garage Door Openers
Is it too cold for your garage door to work correctly? Many homeowners ask this question when winter weather hits and they notice a slowdown or malfunction of their garage door opener. Cold weather can have different effects on your garage door based on fluctuations in precipitation and temperature.
Your garage door system is a machine. Like any other machine, it has moving parts. Temperature changes are notorious for the impact they have on interconnected components. Cold weather, especially, can have a significant effect on your garage door opener.
Cold Weather and Garage Door Openers
The 3 effects of cold weather on garage door openers are:
1. Garage Door Openers May Lose Lubrication and Connectivity
Garage door openers can lose some of their lubrication in cold weather, which may cause them to work harder. When you properly lubricate your garage door opener, you minimize the strain on the motor. A professional technician can assist you in finding the best lubricant for your garage door parts.
Frozen lubricant can be another reason a garage door opener doesn’t work in cold weather. Replacing the frigid product with a fresh lubricant should solve the problem. You can prevent this issue by choosing a product designed to withstand extreme temperatures.
The photo-eye sensors on your garage door can also become fogged over due to the cold. When this happens, the garage door may think there is an obstruction in the way even if there isn’t. This lack of communication between the sensors can cause malfunctions with your garage door opener. Luckily, all you have to do in this situation is wipe off the lenses.
2. Garage Doors Contract in Cold Weather
Garage doors — mostly those made of steel — contract in cold weather. Other metal garage door parts, such as rollers, hinges and springs, can warp if they’re not moved regularly in the cold.
You can minimize the effects of garage door contraction by keeping it lubricated throughout the winter. Apply a silicone-based lubricant to the springs, rollers, hinges and other moving parts
At AAA Garage Door, we recommend scheduling annual maintenance before winter begins and lubricating your garage door’s moving metal parts to keep them working properly.
3. Garage Doors Can Freeze to the Ground
When water freezes during the winter months, some garage doors freeze to the ground, especially if puddles form at the bottom. Garage doors are designed to seal to the ground in an attempt to prevent weather and small animals from coming inside. In cold weather, though, this can cause the door to stick.
How Do I Keep My Garage Door From Freezing To The Ground?
To help prevent your garage door from freezing to the ground, push away any collected water from the bottom of your garage door as often as possible, lay down salt, and lubricate your garage door.
Other steps to prevent a freezing garage door in cold weather include:
- Use lubricant: Applying a silicone-based lubricant — not grease — to the door’s bottom rubber seal will prevent it from sticking to ice.
- Sprinkle salt: Ordinary table salt can keep the water on the inside and outside of the door from freezing.
- Clear snow: Removing snow near the door will eliminate issues with melting and refreezing that could cause sticking.
- Install insulation: An insulated garage door prevents warm air from escaping, helping to combat freezing by maintaining a higher temperature.
- Upgrade the weatherstripping: Inspect the weatherstripping at the bottom of the door and replace it if you notice cracks or other signs of damage.
How Does the Cold Affect Keypads?
The keypad enables you to open or close the garage door without using a remote control or key. However, its location outside the door exposes the keypad to the elements. Just like extreme cold weather can keep your car’s battery from starting the vehicle, the same can occur with a keypad’s battery. Freezing temperatures can cause the batteries to run down faster than in warmer weather and require more frequent changes.
If your garage door keypad is not working in cold weather, your first step should be to replace the battery. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, contact a professional garage door technician to inspect the electrical wiring and other components.
Learn More About Our Weather Sealing Services
Schedule Your Garage Door Winter Maintenance
AAA Garage Door has 25 years of experience performing everything from simple repairs, garage door parts replacements, inspections and regular maintenance to total replacements. We make it our top priority to give our customers comprehensive services and the highest-quality products on the market. We’ll also ensure your Omaha residential or commercial garage door performs well throughout the winter months.
If you find that your garage door is sticking in cold weather or it’s too cold for your garage door opener to work properly, trust AAA Garage Door to find the right solutions. Repairing or updating your garage door or garage door opener with a replacement is simple and straightforward with the help of our highly skilled technicians.
Fill out our online form to schedule garage door services or request a free estimate for your garage door opener today!
Other Resources for Garages in Cold Weather
Felipe Pinales
Reviewed By: Felipe Pinales - Felipe is Nebraska’s first IDEA-certified Master Technician. He has been employed by AAA Garage Door for 6+ years, and has had the Master Technician Certification in his sights since he began. Felipe has also passed four written examinations including Residential Installer Certification, Commercial Sectional Door Systems Technician Certification, Commercial Rolling Door Systems Technician Certification, and Rolling Steel Fire Door Technician Certification. Felipe is constantly looking for ways to improve his abilities within our industry. His goal is to become the best garage door technician possible to best assist his customers and fellow co-workers.