I have a craftsman 1/2 hp garage door opener that only goes up part of the way and stops unless I "help" it up

Answer 1

There is a force adjustment that might help, but that's the last thing you should adjust. Additional force only means something else might be wrong. If it was working fine before you ought to be able to solve the problem with some simple maintenance.

Try lubricating the door rollers and track first. Get a spray can of white lithium grease with a plastic nozzle and spray into each roller bearing of the door. Next, spray the chain/threaded rod for the opener (if equipped) and make sure nothing is binding. Check your tracks to be certain there are no dents or debris in them that would cause binding.

If everything is clean and bind-free, you should take a look at any drive belts inside the opener. Cracked/loose belts will cause slippage regardless of how much lubricating you do, or how much 'force' you add.

If the belt is good and tight, go ahead and make a force adjustment.

I had a Sears opener act up on me in the same manner. It turned out to be a bad run capacitor on the drive motor. I tried replacing it, but the motor had already been damaged/weakened. I ended up buying a new opener... what a pain!

Good luck.

Answer 2

Here's a couple quick (and important) points:

The last gentleman is correct - before making any sensitivity adjustments on an opener you always need to check the door for and catches or binding as it opens and closes. This is best done by pulling the release rope (with the door in the down position for safety) and working the door by hand. This will not only tell you if the door is binding but will also let you know if there is not enough tension on the springs - you should be able to lift the door fairly easily by hand.

If the door works fine then it should be safe to turn up the "open" sensitivity a bit at a time until the door opens. If the sensitivity is already turned as high as it will go, the opener is most likely worn out and in need of replacement.

As for adjusting spring tensions, I recommend contacting a local door professional. Although it isn't necessary to take all tension off of the springs (as was mentioned above) it is the most dangerous part of any door and can cause serious injury. Torsion springs (as mentioned above), in particular, can be very dangerous without steel winding bars (which all door professionals carry) that are made to fit the winding hubs and withstand the pressures which can be exerted by different springs.

Hope this helps inform you a little more before your repair!

Answer 3

I have installed a number of garage doors, and I have never seen a force adjustment - but I am not claiming catagorical knowledge. Also, if you can "help" it, then I think you must have the height adjustment correct. The openers I have used (craftsman, genie, stanley) have a range of motion you can define. They will move through that range, but not out of it unless you pull the release handle that hangs from the garage door.

Assuming you have gone back through the instructions and everything is working like it should, then your problem is the garage door itself. If the door isn't messed up, and the track is ok, it's just a matter of adjusting the door spring which assists in opening the door.

There are several types of springs, but the most common is a torsion spring which runs accross the top of the door and is attached to it by cables. You can increase the tension on this spring to make it easier to lift the door. These type have a steel collar on one end with a series of holes in them. First, you take the tension off of the spring by inserting something in the hole and twisting (I usually use an extension from my socket set),then you can release the collar from the bar which goes through it's middle (generally, they are connected with a set screw), then tighten the spring (this takes two bars to "walk" it around, then retighten the set screw. Most often there is one spring for the whole door, but sometimes there are two on the same rod, one for each side. In that case, you hae to do each one seperatly.

I have used this technique to fix several garage doors with the problem you describe - just be careful, that spring is under quite a bit of pressure. I always wear at least safety glasses.

Good luck

Answer 4

There are two adjustment screws on the power head.

One is for the distance that the door will travel up and down, and the other is for the amount of force that the door motor will generate to operate the door.

It sounds like you need to adjust the one that controls the amount of force that the motor generates. If you need the instruction manual you can get one at the Sears parts store.

cheers.

Answer 5

Mine was binding too on the way up. lifted about 3 ft and stopped. Went out this morning after checking this and other sites for suggestions.

Here was my problem - The cable on one side was not getting wrapped around the top spool. The problem was caused by the very bottom bracket on the door where the cable is attached. The bracket was bent away from the door (not flush against it) and was causing the cable to get outside the spool and not wind around the spool properly.

Also sprayed my rollers with graphite (spray can like wd40) graphite will not attract dust like wd40 and get gummed up over time. wd40 will attract dust and get gummed up. try graphite in a spray can available from home depot and lowe's.

Answer 6

I had a similiar problem after installing the same door opener. Call sears where you bought the instrument. They will tell you exactly what to do. There is an adjustment at the top which has to be made.