When it comes to garage doors there are three types of cable drums used as a part of your garage door operating systems. The types used correspond with the type of garage door opener installed in the home. The three types of cable drums are standard lift cable drums, vertical lift cable drums and high lift cable drums. The cable drum is designed to help the garage door stay in proper balance. Quality Garage Door Repair will go into depth about the type of cable drums used in residential garage doors.
Standard Lift Garage Door Cable Drum
The standard lift cable drum comes in three sizes: 4 inch, 5 1/4 inch and an 8 inch drum. The 8 inch in diameter holds a cable length of 32 feet and can be used on a 1 inch or 1 ¼ inch shaft. The standard lift cable drum is relatively flat and is located on the outside of the door. There are grooves on standard lift cable drums that are raised which help maintain the garage door’s balance as it opens or closes.
Vertical Lift Cable Drum
Like the standard lift cable drum, the vertical lift cable drum come in three different sizes. The smallest drum is 8 1/2 inches the next size up is 11 inches and the largest is 13 1/2 inches in diameter. The 13 inch vertical lift cable drums hold up to 28 feet and can be used on a 1 inch or 1 1/2 inch shaft. These types of cable drums can be used on most residential garage door openers. Vertical lift cable drums are located further away from the garage door and closer to the shaft, wrapping the cables to lift the garage door as it opens.
High Lift Cable Drum
High lift cable drums have up to five different sizes and are typically used on larger doors. These cable drums come in 4 inch, 5 1/2 inches, 5 3/4 inches, 6 3/8 and 8 inches in diameter. High lift cable drums use two kinds of lifts: a flat lift much like a standard-lift drum and a raised portion like a vertical lift drums. A high lift cable drum is a hybrid of the two. With two parts of a single drum this helps to transfer the weight of the garage door. Again this type of cable drum is used for larger or heavier garage doors, such as the RV parking garage for residential homeowners.
Repairing & Replacing Garage Door Cable Drums
The cable drums main functions are to wrap up the cables as the garage door lifts up and to keep it balanced when it is both opening and closing. Cable drums do wear out over time and do require some maintenance such as lubrication and inspections. Replacing cable drums can prove to be dangerous for those not trained to do so. It is wise, if your cable drums appear to be weak or broken, to contact a professional garage door technician.
Residential Garage Door Maintenance & More in Las Vegas, Summerlin, North LV & Henderson Nevada
If you have cable drums in need of repair or replacing or are unsure if that is the malfunction with your garage door, contact Quality Garage Door Repair. We can inspect and determine your garage door’s problem. Additionally, if it is your cable drum, we can help determine which type is used on your garage door. Contact Quality Garage Door Repair today.
