How to Clean Genie Screw Drive

“Faster Stronger and Quiet” might be The Genie Company’s way to sell their Screw Drive openers. However, if you are to own one, you are sure to know how noisy they can often get.

If your screw opener is screeching and groaning loud at you, there is nothing much to worry about, as it is simply an indication that it is time to give your screw drive some proper attention.

For starters cleaning the roller tracks and adding grease to the rollers and hinges will get you going. But if you are to achieve even less noisy results, we need to dive a little deep into dismantling and cleaning the roller and track rail.

This might sound tedious, but with the proper method, it is nothing but a very simple task.

Why is My Screw Drive Garage Door Opener So Loud?

There can be a couple of reasons why you have an unusually loud screw drive opener. It can be of a faulty installation, worn-out rollers, poor lubrication, etc. We will start off with the most common issues and dive deeper one by one.

Lubrication and Cleaning

Worn-out lubrication and accumulation of dirt in the door opener can be one of the most common causes of having a chaotic screw drive system. This can cause your screw drive to work inefficiently while producing rattling and grinding noises.

Loose Parts

The different parts of your screw drive operate together in order to open or close your garage door. As a result, wear off or tear down of a part can prevent it from operating smoothly.

For example, if the rollers and hinges wobble, they might need tightening or replacing. Nuts and bolts can also come loose and vibrate. If tightening or replacing does not solve the problem, try calling a garage door professional to help you out.

Bent Tracks

The metal track along which the screw fits can sometimes be damaged and hence bent. As a result, this can cause loud rubbing noises when the garage door is in motion. Consider calling a garage door professional to align the tracks for smooth operation.

Unbalanced Doors

Having unbalanced doors can also be challenging for your garage door opener to operate with minimal noise. In this case, the spring in the garage door opener can exert too little or too much pressure on the door.

As a result, it puts too much strain on the opener itself, causing its spring or cable to snap. Contacting a professional is advised in order to solve this problem.

Improper Installation

A properly installed garage door system should operate with minimal sound. However, if you observe your garage door getting stuck halfway, operating with very loud grinding, squealing noises, or even struggle to open and close the door, it can be assumed that your door has not been installed properly.

Finding yourself a reliable repair service may help you resolve these mistakes.

How Do You Clean A Genie Screw Drive Garage Door Opener?

Knowing that one of the major causes of a noisy screw drive system is the dirt accumulated in it, in this section, we will look into how a Genie screw drive opener should be cleaned for a sparkling and healthy operational system. Without further ado, let’s hop in.

Step 1: Cleaning the Roller Tracks

The first important step is to clean the roller tracks well with a paper towel. Get rid of the accumulated dirt and grease. Do not apply any lubricant to these tracks. Leave them dry.

Step 2: Cleaning the Screw Drive Track

Clean the screw drive track with a paper towel. Take your time and get rid of the residual grease out of the inner track. The best would be to cover a screwdriver head with a paper towel and scour the inner rail gently, removing all the dirt and grease. It is very important to get rid of all the corrosive material before applying grease to the surface.

Step 3: Detaching the Trolley

Once we release the trolley from the track, we can pull the cotter pin on the trolley and remove the cotter pin so that it is released from the door. Now remove the retaining nut that holds the rail to the wall retaining bracket. Now simply remove the trolley by removing the track from the wall.

Step 4: Cleaning the Trolley

First, remove all excess grease off the trolley with a paper towel. Then soak it into a “degreaser solution” for a while. After that, take it out of the solution and tap out all the grease. Then let it dry for a bit.

With the trolley, all cleaned out, slide it back on the track. Insert the track on the wall mount, attach the nut and then reattach the door connection to the trolley and secure it with the cotter pin.

How Do You Clean a Screw Drive Opener?

The steps to cleaning any screw drive are similar to one another since they are built more or less the same way. Hence, following the measures taken to clean a Genie Screw Drive opener, other screw drive systems can be cleaned with ease.

Just make sure to get rid of the residual grease and dirt and be careful with the trolley dismount. Keep in mind that proper cleansing is very necessary for the next step, which is lubricating.

How Do You Lubricate A Genie Screw Drive Garage Door Opener?

After all the troublesome cleaning has been done, it is now time to apply grease to our Genie Screw Drive. Our choice of grease will be white lithium-based grease- one liquid and another hard. This will be a fairly easy and simple step. Let’s begin –

Applying Liquid Grease

Apply liquid grease to the hinges and stems on the rollers. Our choice of grease is white lithium-based grease. Be Careful to remove any excess grease that you leave on the rollers.

Make sure to apply a liberal amount of grease to any moving part on the garage door. It is not necessary to lubricate the rollers themselves. Do not apply any grease on the roller track, and it should remain dry.

Applying Thick Grease

Apply thick white lithium grease along the length of the screw drive rail, ensuring that you coat the screw liberally with grease. Then, with a paper towel, wipe off the excess grease. And you are all done.

How Often Should I Lubricate My Genie Screw Drive Door Opener?

It is recommended that you apply lubricant to your Genie Screw Drive at least once every year.

Using it regularly will also benefit your Screw Drive to run more efficiently and reduce the noise, hence enhancing the performance of your garage door opener.

Can I Use the Same Cleaning Technique for Genie Screw Drive and Aluminum Dump Trailer?

Yes, you can use the same cleaning technique for a Genie screw drive and an aluminum dump trailer. When cleaning aluminum dump trailer, use a mild detergent and water to scrub away dirt and grime. Apply a protective wax to maintain the trailer’s appearance and protect it from corrosion.

Conclusion

The necessity of cleaning an overlapping shower door, Genie Screw Drive opener or any other sliding door system is often not overlooked. However, it can be quite a bummer when your Screw Drive goes screeching and groaning on a Sunday morning, waking up the entire neighborhood.

Or even when you are already late for a meeting and your garage door starts malfunctioning.

The role of a garage door in everyday life is quite important. It is only wise if we give proper attention to it- keep it clean, keep it lubricated. If you still haven’t cleaned your Screw Drive in a while, go give it a try and surprise yourself with how easy and simple it is.