Garage Door Parts

Below is a diagram of all the standard garage door parts.   We realize that most of our customers do not know about the inner workings of a garage door and its parts, so we hope this helps you diagnose any part that isn't working. 

Garage Door Rollers: 

Rollers are the little wheels that ride along the track on your garage door, and there are three main types listed below. 

The most basic type of roller is a steel roller that has ball bearings. Rollers with steel wheels can support more weight than other rollers. Although they can sound louder, they are a reliable and durable option for most garage doors.


The issue that these rollers experience is that the bearings wear out after years of use. This could lead to the roller becoming loose in the track, leading to the roller itself breaking. The easiest way to diagnose whether the rollers are wearing out would be to grab the roller while still in the track and wiggle to see how much “play” there is. A less messy way to tell if these rollers are wearing out is to listen to your garage door. When this type of roller gets loose, they sound like an old train while it goes up and down.


Lubricating the rollers helps with this, but eventually they all will need to be replaced. 


Rollers with plastic wheels are the less costly option, but they can only support a certain amount of weight so they’re best suited for smaller doors on residential homes. They consist of a plastic wheel wrapped around a steel stem and contain no bearings. Even without bearings they still require periodic lubrication in order to travel seamlessly in the track.


Nylon wheels wrapped around a steel stem offer the quietest roller option available. The reinforced dual-wall bearing case houses the sealed ball bearings that do not required any oil, though we still recommend lubricating the roller itself. This high quality roller offers a smooth, quiet door operation and is the longest lasting roller option available. 

Photocells

The pair of photocells produce and monitor a beam of infrared light between the two units, and this unbroken beam allows the garage door opener system to close normally. Should the beam of light be interrupted the door will halt any downward motion and immediately reverse to the full open position. These safety sensors improve the safety of your garage for people, pets, and personal property. Always keep the area around them clear of any debris or items.

Federal law requires all garage door operator manufacturers to include these sensors on all units as of January 1, 1993. All operators we sell include these sensors, and we are prohibited from repairing any unit that does not have them.

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