Garage Door Opener, 10 Years Old, Repair Or Replace



Question:
I have a Sears garage door opener, 1/3 hp on a single door. It sounds like a gear is slipping and it can't pull up the door. Based on my research it seems that replacing the plastic gears would do the trick. Cost - $22 and some of my time. The other option is to replace it with a new one for about $160 including tax (including a keypad which I like). I've heard that the rule of thumb is to replace them if 10 years old or older. Will the current one last another 5-10 years with a new gear? Any and all opinions welcome.

Answer:
Depends why the gear is slipping. If you've got torsion springs, one of the springs may be broken... If the door is *really* heavy to lift manually, you should figure out why. If not, 10 -15 years isn't unreasonable for a garage door opener. But a 1/3 hp is at the low end...you could get a 1/2 hp if you replace yours and it will last another 10-15 years. On the other hand, a new one will give you safeguards that the old one may not have (beams to make sure that the door is clear before it closes and better electronics to keep bad people out) I upgraded my 10 year old opener with a new belt drive model from Sears. The difference in sound is pretty significant...the garage is below our bedrooms, so that's important to us.





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