Frequently Asked Questions About Garage Doors

Please feel free to stop by our showroom at 4901 NW 57^th Avenue in Johnston, Iowa.  We will be happy to chat with you about your garage door and/or garage door opener needs ranging from new products to service, parts or general questions.  You may also reach us by phone at 515-633-2119.

We offer a 12-month parts and labor warranty. Manufacturer warranties vary, so make sure you read all documentation that comes with your garage door or garage door opener. If you’re not sure, call us for clarification on specific warranty information.

Feel free to stop by the showroom during business hours to pick up your can or give us a call to purchase it.

It depends on the what the door is made of! This document from C.H.I. will help you determine the best way to repaint.

A mild detergent and a sponge works well to clean our garage doors. Do not use abrasive cleaners or brushes. Like any piece of mechanical equipment, garage doors operate best when they receive regular maintenance and service. Garage door springs, tracks, and any moving parts should be well-oiled with a lightweight lubricant. We have an excellent spray-on lubricant that’s easily applied and will ensure smooth track movement, prolonging the life of the moving parts of the door. We have expert technicians who are trained to inspect your garage door whenever they service it. Some of the items on their checklist are to check for signs of wear in moving parts and damage to the door seal, loose or missing fasteners, the integrity of the garage door track, ease of operation. Our techs also make sure all safety warning labels and tags are securely in place and easy-to-read.

If your garage door is stuck or feels too heavy to lift, you likely have a broken spring. You’ll need some assistance in order to get your garage door open when a spring is broken. This is a two-person job. Someone to push the opener button while you lift the door. Do not attempt to open the door using only the door opener if you suspect you have a broken spring. This can damage the door opener. If your springs aren’t the issue, the batteries in your keypad may simply need to be replaced.

One of the most convenient features your garage door can have is a door opener with a battery backup system. That’s why Amega is proud to offer LiftMaster openers with battery backup features and MyQ®  technology.  The battery backup feature allows the opener to operate for up to 40 cycles in a 24-hour period.

First and foremost, remember that the photo eyes are an essential component in the safe operation of your garage door. Never disable them or try to “work around” their operation.They should never be more than six inches off of the ground.

With the door in the closed position, use a soft and dry cloth to gently clean the photo eyes. If they appear to be out of alignment, loosen the fly nuts and gently adjust them by hand. Once properly aligned, you will see a green light and an amber or yellow light.

Radio-frequency interference (RFI) happens when an electrical circuit experiences an external disturbance. This can be due to both man-made devices (televisions, internet connections, etc.) and natural sources, like lightning. There are several ways radio-frequency interference can occur when it comes to your garage door opener, so you’ll have to do some investigating.

What could be causing the interference? 

• Something may be physically blocking the remote signal. This could be your visor or a piece of paper. Be sure to check your battery, too.
• Another garage door opener may be installed. If you have more than one opener installed, it can lead to RFI. Simply unplug the working opener (the one not having issues) and test your remote to see if the range improves. If there’s improvement, the logic board on the unplugged opener likely needs replaced. If you see no improvement, it may be due to wiring. LiftMaster offers a step-by-step process to correct it.

• Garage door openers inside metal buildings can lead to RFI. There’s a simple fix: install an antenna extension.

For more information about how to prevent, diagnose, and/or fix RFI when it comes to your garage door opener, take a look at our in-depth blog, Radio-Frequency Interference and Garage Door Openers, which features more solutions.

You should NEVER attempt to repair a garage door spring on your own, unless you’ve been properly trained. Garage door springs are incredibly dangerous and by attempting to fix them on your own can result in serious injury or death. Safely repairing and replacing broken garage door springs requires the proper knowledge, tools, and experience. Our trained and experienced technicians will be able to safely and reliably fix your broken garage door spring.

To open a door with a broken spring, have someone push the opener button while you assist the door opener by lifting the door.  In essence, you are taking the place of the spring in assisting the door opener.  Do not try to open your door when it has a broken spring using only the opener.  You must assist it to avoid damage to the opener.  If your door has only 1 spring, do not attempt to open it.  In both cases, one spring or two – call Amega Garage Doors & Openers, Inc. 515-633-2119, to schedule a spring replacement.

Garage door springs are VERY dangerous.  Proper knowledge, tools and experience are essential for a safe and reliable repair.  We do NOT recommend that any person without experience in the garage door industry attempt to do a spring replacement.

The service life of garage door springs is typically around 10,000 cycles (a cycle is one open and one close of the garage door). How long your springs will last depends on how often you’re using your garage door and whether they’ve been properly maintained. For instance, your springs should be well-lubricated and kept away from water, to decrease the likelihood of rusting. If one spring breaks, the other will break soon after for a couple of reasons: 1) they have the same approximate life cycle; 2) the remaining spring will now be trying to the job of two garage door springs.

You can prolong the service life of your garage door springs, rollers, hinges, and all other moving parts of your garage door by keeping them lubricated. We stock a lightweight lubricant spray at our showroom.

You’ll find the “Learn” button on the back or side of your garage door opener, depending on the model. Press and hold the “Learn” button down until the LED light next to it goes out. This will indicate that you’ve cleared all transmitters and keypads. For any of them to work again, you will need to reprogram them.

The instructions can be found on the keypad lid for easy reference.

Locate the learn button on the back or side of your garage door opener.  Press and release that button.  (DO NOT hold the button down)  The LED light will come on next to the learn button.  Now press in the 4 digit code you want to use on the keypad and hit the “Enter” button.  Your keypad is now set. 

The battery in your keypad likely needs replaced.

Locate the “Learn” button on the back or side of your garage door opener. Press and release that button. Do not hold the button down, as this will clear its memory and that requires reprogramming. When you press and release the button, the LED light will come on next to the “Learn” button. Then enter the 4-digit code you want to use on the keypad and hit the “Enter” button. Your keypad will now be set. These instructions can also be found on the keypad lid for easy reference.

The battery in the remote probably needs to be replaced. If none of your transmitters work, make sure they’re all coded into the receiver. If you have done all of this, it’s likely the receiver needs to be replaced. Contact Amega Garage Doors and Openers for a professional service technician to diagnose the problem and find a solution.

Some vehicles may require the ignition to be turned on or to the second (or “accessory”) position for programming and/or operation of HomeLink. Please make sure that people and objects are out of the way of the moving door or gate when programming to prevent potential harm or damage. Vehicle should be parked outside of the garage for programming.

You will need the keyless entry in the vehicle with you. The keypad is generally held on the wall with a screw under the battery cover.

1. Press and hold the 2 outer HomeLink buttons (1 & 3) release both buttons when the indicator light changes from a solid light to a rapid flash or the display reads “Channels Cleared” (this will take approximately 20 seconds).

Note: Do not repeat this step to program additional HomeLink buttons.

2. Activate your keyless entry with the 4 digit PIN, hold the Enter button and hold the HomeLink button you would like to program. You will hold the Enter button and the HomeLink button together until you get a rapid flash on the HomeLink LED or the display shows “Channel Trained”.

Note: If you keypad does not have an Enter button you will hold whichever button is the equivalent to the Enter button.

3. Press and hold the just trained HomeLink button if the LED light comes on solid then the garage door should now activate. 

If the door does not activate and the LED light flashes rapid for about 2-3 seconds and then turns solid, that indicates that the signal the HomeLink copied is rolling code, proceed to the next steps.

4. Press and release the “smart” or “learn” button once. (Do not hold this button down. Holding this button down too long will erase all devices programmed to your garage door opener.)

Note: Once the learn button is pressed you have 30 seconds in which to initiate the next step.

5. Firmly press and hold the programmed HomeLink button 3 seconds 2-3 times (depending on opener brand). The garage door should now activate.

Press and release the “Learn” button, which is located on the back or side of your garage door opener. Do not hold the button down, because that will clear its memory. The LED light will come on once you press and release the “Learn” button. Next, press the button on the transmitter and hold it down until the LED light next to the “Learn” button blinks and the “Release Opener” light blinks. You have now set your transmitter.