Opener Diagnosis · Horizon Heights, Oro Valley
Customer Asked: Why Is My Garage Door Opener Humming and the Chain Hanging Down?
A homeowner in the Horizon Heights area of Oro Valley, Arizona called Discount Door Service because the chain on their garage door opener was hanging down and the motor would only make a humming noise when they tried to open the garage door.
Discount Door Service Answered
We inspected the garage door opener and found that the internal gear and sprocket assembly had failed at the top of the motor.
But finding the broken opener part was only half of the diagnosis.
We also inspected the garage door itself and found that the torsion spring system was not providing enough counterbalance for the weight of the door.
That meant the garage door opener had been working harder than it should every time it tried to lift the door.
The homeowner decided to schedule a new garage door opener installation.
Why Does My Garage Door Opener Hum but Not Open the Door?
If you push your garage door remote or wall button and hear the motor humming but the garage door does not move, something may be preventing the opener from transferring its power to the door.
Possible causes include:
- A stripped or broken internal gear
- A failed sprocket or drive assembly
- A loose or hanging opener chain
- A garage door that is too heavy for the opener
- A broken or improperly counterbalanced spring system
- A disconnected trolley or other mechanical opener failure
At this Horizon Heights home, the hanging chain and humming motor were symptoms of a failed opener gear and sprocket assembly.
The homeowner noticed the chain hanging and the motor humming.
Our inspection found the failed opener gear, but it also found that the torsion spring system was not providing enough counterbalance for the door.
Job details
Area
Horizon Heights, Oro Valley
Symptom
Motor humming, chain hanging down
Fault found
Failed internal gear and sprocket
Also found
Spring system under-counterbalanced
Outcome
New opener installation scheduled
Same-day service across Tucson
Got a door doing something similar?
Tell us what it is doing and we will give you a straight answer, not a sales pitch.
