Questions about garage doors and gates

The usual suspects are a remote button that sticks, a remote in a car or bag that gets pressed by accident, or a control board that misreads signals after a power surge. Switch the operator off at its power switch if the gate keeps moving on its own, and keep people and cars out of its path until it is checked on a gate operator repair visit.

In many cases, yes, as long as the track and the gate frame are not badly bent. A slide gate leaves its track when a wheel wears flat, debris builds up in the track or something hits the gate. Do not force it back, because a slide gate off its track can tip; gate hardware repair covers wheels, guide rollers and tracks.

Over time hinges wear, a post leans or a hinge bolt works loose, and the latch end of the gate drops until it drags. Dragging makes the operator strain and can trip its obstruction stop. We tighten or change the worn hinge hardware and re-hang the gate so it swings level again.

Many operators beep to report a low battery, a blocked safety eye or a gate that has hit something several times in a row. The beep pattern often has a specific meaning listed in the operator's manual. Clean the solar panel and the safety eye lenses first, and if the beeping goes on, book a gate visit.

Yes, on the operator already at your gate. We pair remotes, set a new keypad code and clear old remotes out of the operator's memory, which is worth doing after you move in or lose a remote.

Each spring is made to last a certain count of trips up and down, so a garage that doubles as the family's front door uses its springs up sooner. Humid or salty air shortens that further by rusting the coils. A door that starts to feel heavier by hand, or a spring with gaps between its coils, is near the end.

On a door with two torsion springs, the one that survived has done the same number of cycles and is usually close behind. Changing both keeps the door balanced from side to side. We tell you how the second spring looks, and the choice is yours; see spring replacement.

No. With one cable off, the door lifts on one side only, twists in the opening and can jam or come down hard. Leave it closed, unplug the opener and keep the car out of the way until cable repair is done.

A bumper that catches the bottom of the door, a cable letting go on one side, track bolts that worked loose, or rollers worn enough to slip out. Once it is out, running the opener can bend the track or the door further, so stop there and book off-track repair.

It reaches our dispatch team straight away and you see a booking number on the screen. We then phone you from (813) 836-7187 to agree on the day and window. Until that call, the slot you chose online is only what you would like, not a set appointment.

Yes. Enter the address where the door or gate is, and the name and mobile number of the person we should call. If a tenant or a relative will let the technician in, say so in the note. The work needs the owner's permission, as our terms explain.

Type your ZIP code into the booking card and it names the area as you finish typing. The service areas page lists all 23 cities and neighborhoods by county. If you are near the edge, call (813) 836-7187 and ask.