Garage Door Opener Fell on the Floor? Here’s Why…
If the cover of your garage door opener fell on the ground or your car, you most likely have a Genie Chain Glide or Overhead Door Python garage door opener which is the same unit. This model utilized a chain that ran down the center of the rail and coiled inside the motor housing like a snake. If this has happened to you, it’s time to replace your garage door opener.
The Genie Chain Glide and Overhead Door Python garage door openers were manufactured by The Genie Company. This particular opener was not the best unit this company has ever made. They were notorious for falling to the ground once the housing cracked. When this happens, it will startle any homeowner leaving them with a funny look on their face.
These units did not operate like anything else on the market. The chain rode down the middle of the rail connected to an inner slide on the end of the chain. As the door would come up, the chain would coil up inside the motor housing like a snake. Hence the name python.
Most of these units would fail in under ten years, many were replaced in under five years. Every once in a while we would come across one that went 15 years or so. We can only assume this was because the unit was not used much. Most equipment in the garage door industry is rated for cycles. A garage door going up and down is one cycle.
Sounds Like Plastic is Breaking
Another problem with these units is they could be very loud. Many times when the unit was running, it would sound like metal catching on the edge of plastic. They literally sounded like they were going to fall to the ground… and guess what? They eventually will if you continue to run them.
Inner Slide is Stuck Against the Housing
If the inner slide on your Genie Chain Glide or Overhead Door Python garage door opener is stuck, then you need to open or close the garage door depending on where the inner slide is. If it is stuck in the up position by the motor head, open your garage door so the carriage hits the little white plastic flipper which is the limit switch. This flipper contact switch tells the opener to push the inner slide down.
If the inner slide is stuck in the down position, close the garage door so the carriage activates the flipper switch. This will tell the opener circuit board to pull the inner slide back up. These openers should never be ran without the door being connected to the opener. If so, the inner slide does not know its limits and it will jam up and get stuck.
The Genie Chain Glide and Overhead Door Python garage door opener have not been manufactured for a long time. If you are having issues with one of these units, do not put any money into them. You will be wasting your hard earned dollars. They are not a quality unit that will give you years of trouble free service. Replace the unit with a good Chamberlain or LiftMaster opener or any other brand that has good parts and service support in your area.
