A typical garage door system comprises many interconnected components that engage anytime a command or operation is directed to the garage door. Any of these items cannot work singly, and that’s why the entire door is called a system, meaning that one component will rely on or affect the working of another.
Are you looking to host a garage door installation or replacement project? It is good to know the parts that make this excellent home component. Understanding these parts will also help you appreciate how the entire system works to perform its role effectively.
In this article, we will list the major components/parts that make a garage door system and describe each’s role. Regardless of the garage door you wish to install or replace, it will have the following components:
(Note that the components are arranged systematically according to how they interconnect and transmit actions until the whole system engages)
1. Door opener
A garage door opener is a component that receives the signal sent to the door system when you push a button to open the door. It transmits the call to the other elements to complete the opening action. The door opener houses the motor that powers up everything in the garage door system. In most garage door systems, the door opener is the box you will see hanging from the ceiling.
2. Torsion springs
The torsion springs play a crucial role in storing the motor’s energy and transferring it effectively to other components. Torsion springs hold the motor’s power as elastic potential energy and release it when lifting the door. This is what makes lifting the door very easy, even though a garage door may be very hefty.
3. Tube shaft
This is the bar that holds the torsion springs in place above the garage door. It has no other significant role, but the springs would not perform their crucial role properly without it.
4. Drums
The drums work just like a pulley system and transmit the energy from the spring to the cables. These wheels are usually attached to the ends of the tube shaft.
5. Cables
Connecting all the components discussed above and the door itself are the metal lifting cables. On the top, they are connected to the drum that transfers the rotational force to them. At the bottom, they are connected to the door structure. As the wheels rotate, they roll up the cables that, in turn, lift the garage door.
Up to this point, these are the most crucial components needed to move a garage door on pushing the Open button. The parts discussed below support the door’s physical movement up or down and are not connected directly to the opening mechanism.
6. Rollers and the track
Rollers are the wheels connected to the garage door’s sides to enable it to move smoothly up or down, tracing the tunnel on the metal track. For a garage door to open, the wheels must always be in the metal track. Note that the door can only move up to the point where the metal track ends.
7. Hinges
In most cases, the garage door will move upwards to open. However, to enable a smooth transition, the garage door panels must also fold as it opens. The components that allow this to happen are the hinges. They perform this task while still holding the garage door panels together.
8. Brackets
Like hinges, brackets keep the garage door system connected, this time, not the panels but the cables and rollers. The brackets ensure that these two components are fastened in their most appropriate positions.
Protective components
9. Retainer
This is the metallic or plastic component that runs on the garage door’s bottom to hold the bottom seal in place.
10. Bottom seal
This is a heavy-duty rubber or vinyl component installed on the garage door’s bottom. The seal it provides keeps pests, insects, environmental and weather elements at bay.
11. Weather seals
Weather seals function just like the bottom seal but can be installed even on the garage door’s sides to fill up the spaces the door may leave when it is closed. By bridging any gap between the garage doors and the wall/ floor, they perform an insulating purpose that improves the energy efficiency of the space.
Safety components
Due to the hefty nature and the automated control that most modern garage doors rely on, they can pose potential safety hazards if not operated or monitored correctly. The two most common safety components you will find on any garage doors are:
12. Eye safety sensors
These are two lenses mounted on the wall at the bottom of the garage door facing each other. They transmit a beam of light between them, and if an object blocks this light, they prevent the garage door from closing.
13. Emergency cord
The emergency cord hangs from the door operator with a red tag at the bottom. Pulling this cord disengages the opener’s motor and the entire door structure from opening or closing automatically.
Conclusion
I hope you have now familiarized yourself with the essential parts of a garage door system and the roles each plays. At least the next time a garage door specialist will talk of a tube shaft, you will have a picture in your mind of what it is and the role it performs.