Accessmaster problem!

[seagiant]

Hi,
I have a 3yr. old house and my garage door opener has been quite troublesome lately! It is a 1/2 HP Accessmaster with the overhead chain drive. About 2 months ago it did not want to come up all the way so after reading the manual I increased the torque setting on the back of the unit and all was well. Today it started the same thing so I increased again and it's working fine but I'm at the end of the setting and if it happens again what do I do???
I have made sure that the door and spring work correctly by disconnecting the latch to the drive. Have also oiled everything,so I know the door works with minimum effort,everything fine. I can't figure out why I have to keep setting the torque setting higher every couple months??? Any ideas? Thanks!

[gdoorpro]

Accessmaster woes

Your AccessMaster operator is the exact same machinery you would get with a sears chaindrive with the exception of the single piece rail. so it is a little better, but it is a cheap operator.

It should however last 7-10 years without a problem. Typically decreasing the sensitiviy should solve the problem. Usually the problem is on the downward travel.

Your door, is operating smoothly and with minimal effort so this problem may be with the circuit board.

Ideally you should be adjusting / checking monthly to verify that sensitivity settings are set to a minimum.

New homes do shift and move and different components swell or shrink. So it is not uncommon to have to check these settings.

The more information you provide the better assistance I can be. Feel free to email me directly or even send a digital picture of the door working and how high the operator is set above the door. Also read my reply about do it yourself pitfalls.

ryan

[seagiant]

Hi Ryan
Thanks for the info even though my questions weren't really answered unless you mean next time this happens I should just get a "real" door opener! While were on the subject what is a good trouble free brand? Still hoping to learn what I do when this happens next time??? Thanks again!

[gdoorpro]

what to do next time

If this happens again you will probably need to replace the circuit board, unless you can somehow make the door easier to operate. If the door is ext. springs you could use a heavier spring for example, but this might require adjusting the down sensitivity setting.

If you want a workhorse who should last a long time try the liftmaster elite series. They have an encolosed drive system, unlike their other lines where the gears are a frequent problem say every 5-10 years depending on how smoothly the door runs, and wether or not the gears are lubricated. Your accessmaster is essentially the same as the basic liftmaster builder and premium series as far as internal components. I would recommend lubricating the gears inside the motor head at least every 2 years, or so.

sorry I couldn't help more. Ryan