Automatic Garage Door Issues - Bolts Snapped on Arm Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[Darossi]

Hello, if this is the wrong forum for this question, please advise and move as appropriate. Thanks :-)

I am house and dog sitting for my brother whilst he is away. Whilst walking the dog, I think the remote for the garage door must have gone off in my pocket. Unfortunately I had the car parked in front of the door.... I heard the crunch from down the street...

The car is fine but the garage door was wonky. Looking at it, one of the arms at the sides of the door has broke. Away from it. It looks like the arm is held on by two bolts, one of which is missing and the other of which is bent in a way that it no longer screws tight into the hole. I have taken some pictures. Can this be repaired by simply getting new bolts? What if the new bolts don't go in because the holes have been damaged?

In the pictures attached, it's the arm on the right. I've taken a photo of the left one too so you can see how it is supposed to be.

Thanks for any advice. And if anyone knows anyone in the ******* area (Romford/Hornchurch) area who can help, I would be grateful.

A friend said that he thinks it must already have been pretty damaged as simply hitting an obstacle shouldn't have caused the bolts to snap off? I know nothing about these things though.

[ericmark]

Your friend is correct a garage door should have safeties which would stop it hitting anything. And if it did should have a current monitor which would auto switch it off.

However in the real world that is often not the case. My father-in-law had some fitted with no manual over ride where the only access to the consumer unit was through the garage doors so if a fuse was to rupture there was no way to get access to replace it. After raising the issue a lock was fitted which once unlocked allowed one to withdraw a pin allowing manual opening of the doors.

From pictures I can't work out what is required, but I will guess it's not a simple repair what is needed is some modification so it can't do it again. I know not much help but what I am really saying is it is better to wait for his return and be honest and say how lucky you were it did not damage the car.

I have walked the local estate many times when our dog was alive and would chat on the local amateur radio repeater to take up time when dog did its stuff. I would see security lights come on and garage doors open and close where EMC rules had clearly not been followed.

I remember a Vauxhall car amateur having to ask other amateurs not to transmit while he left the site because the car kept locking the doors and setting alarm as he tried to leave the radio mast.

So it may not have been you who caused it to try to open if could be a passing taxi or ambulance or radio ham using their radio.

I have many times phoned my father-in-law to tell him the door is open.

I hope this helps you work out what you tell him. But basic fact there should be an auto stop so it's the door at fault not you.