How to Tighten Garage Door Chain

One of the biggest problems with garage doors that operate with a chain drive opener is a loose chain. The chain becomes slack from everyday use because of the vibrations created by the weight of the door and the motor. To restore your garage door to proper working condition, it’s crucial to learn how to tighten garage door chain.

How to Tighten Garage Door Chain

This article is a step-by-step guide on how to tighten a loose garage door chain and ensure your garage door is working as it should. A technician will adjust your chain during regular maintenance checks but you can also do it yourself.

Tightening your garage door chain is part of regular maintenance. A loose garage door chain is not only noisy but also makes the system less efficient by forcing the opener to do more work. It can also cause your door to jump the track.

Here are some of the steps involved when adjusting the chain tension:

• Start by running the opener closed using the remote control or door button.
• Then disconnect the garage door from the opener. This allows you to close and open the door manually by hand. If your door has a T-rail opener, pull the red manual release rope straight down before pulling it back toward the motor unit. If your door has a square rail opener, simply pull the manual release rope straight down.
• Adjust the chain’s tension using a threaded shaft located on the inner trolley and two nuts. If you’re inside the garage, facing outward, the adjustment nuts are located on the left side of the rail. Loosen the nut closest to the garage door (the outer nut) until the chain drops below the base of the rail. You should then allow room for the chain to be tightened by loosening the inner nut.
• Tightening the outer nut adds tension to the chain. Every time you turn the outer nut, the chain will rise slightly. It’s crucial to keep an eye on the midpoint of the rail. When the rail is about 1/4” (for Square Rail) or 1/2" (for T-rail) above the base of the rail, at the midpoint, tighten the nut closest to the motor (the inner nut) to secure the adjustment. The chain is now properly adjusted.

After making any adjustments, you must test the safety reversal system. The garage door must reverse on contact with 3.8cm (1.5” high) object. Once you’ve re-engaged the door and it’s in a closed position, you may notice some chain droop. This shouldn’t be a cause for worry as it’s quite normal. If you open the door and the chain returns to the correct position, then there’s no need to make any further adjustments.

Bottom Line

Now that’s how to tighten garage door chain. However, working on your garage door is highly risky. You should take a few precautionary measures to prevent serious injury or death from a moving garage door and standard garage door opening. For instance, always keep remote controls out of reach of children. It’s also important to activate the door only when there are no obstructions, the door can be seen clearly and it’s properly adjusted so that you can avoid any other potential garage door issues such as having to adjust the auto reverse and more.