An annual service is not a wipe-down and a spray of lubricant. Done properly it is a measured inspection of seven systems, and it is the cheapest way to avoid a spring failure in August.
What should be in it
- Balance test. Disconnect the opener and lift the door halfway. It should stay there. If it falls or rises, the springs are out of adjustment.
- Spring inspection. Coils checked for gaps, rust and stretch; torsion cables checked for fraying.
- Rollers and hinges. Worn rollers replaced before they chew the track.
- Track alignment. Plumb and level, with dents removed or the section replaced.
- Safety reverse test. Both tests: the photo-eye with an obstruction, and the mechanical force test with a board.
- Lubrication. Hinges, rollers, springs and bearings with the right product, not WD-40.
- Weather seal and hardware torque. Bottom seal, perimeter, and every bolt that has vibrated loose over the year.
What it is not
It is not a repair. If the balance test fails or a spring is broken, that is quoted separately; a service visit should tell you what it found, in writing, rather than quietly adjusting a failing part and charging for a tune-up.
How to tell it was actually done
Three markers: the balance test was performed with the opener disconnected (ask, and watch), the door is measurably quieter afterwards, and you were told the condition of the springs even if nothing was replaced. A technician who never mentions the springs did not check them.
Why annual, and not every two years
Springs cycle roughly ten thousand times per year in a normal household. In South Florida, heat, humidity and salt air shorten the life of every moving part. The interval exists because that is how long the adjustment holds, not because of a sales cycle.
Same-day service across South Florida and a 100% workmanship guarantee. Free estimate: (305) 885-8088.
Our maintenance service includes a free inspection, so you know what the door needs before anything is replaced.