Most garage door companies will tell you to replace your chain every 10 to 15 years, but it’s not that simple.
There are a lot of variables that will affect the life of your chain. How often do you use your door? What’s the quality of the chain? How well was it installed? How often do you oil it? What are the weather conditions that might affect it?
Wear & Tear
The biggest factor to affect wear and tear is use. Most people raise and lower their door about 4 times per day. But if you hardly ever use the door, your chain will probably last longer. If you have kids that raise and lower the door every time they leave the house, the chain will not last as long.
Lubricating the Chain
What do you do to maintain the chain? It’s a good idea to oil your chain every 3 months or so with a silicone garage door lubricant. Don’t use WD40, which can cause the chain to rust prematurely. A well oiled door also operates much quieter. One of the first things we tell people who complain about a noisy door is to oil their chain.
The Importance of a Quality Opener
What kind of garage door opener do you have? This will affect how often the chain needs replacing. Liftmaster doors are high quality. The chains tend to last longer if properly installed.
Beware of brands. Sometimes a contractor will put in an opener of lesser quality to save money. Cheap, generic chains will wear out faster. This is an especially common problem on recently built houses. The contractors know the openers won’t be a problem until long after the house is already sold.
The Importance of Maintenance & Regular Tune-ups
Your garage chain will also last longer if the door is regularly tuned up. You can call a garage door professional to not only inspect the door but tighten the bolts, replace any needed parts, and tighten springs. This will put less stress on the chain.
Consider an Upgrade to a Belt Drive Garage Door Opener
If you are in the market for a new garage door opener, you might consider upgrading to a belt driven garage door opener. Belt driven openers are a little more expensive, but are much quieter. This is great if your garage door is near a living area like a living room or bedroom. Belt driven garage door openers also tend to last longer than chain driven garage door openers. It’s just a better running opener. And that means improved equity value to your home. It’s a win-win!