Saturday, February 19, 2011

Is Installing A Garage Door Opener Supposed To Be Fun?

If so, I think we purchased the wrong unit. We've had this automatic garage door opener for several years now. (Yes, I said several years.) Way back when hubby tried to install it for the first time, he found several pieces were missing. Long phone conversations ensued before the pieces were ordered.

Guess what? The pieces sent were still wrong for this unit. Over a couple of years (yes, I said a couple of years) he ordered, sent back, reordered and sent back pieces a couple more times. Each time he tried to get the unit installed, the project ended in frustration. Not a common occurrence for him since he's usually too stubborn to give up on anything.

I think his most recent attempt was this past summer. The unit still wasn't going together correctly which may have had something to do with the directions which consistently mislabled parts and showed diagrams which didn't match labeled parts. Hubby is also convinced the instruction booklet was translated from Chinese into English by someone who spoke only Portuguese.

Recently we decided it would be wise to enlist the services of our carpenter friend and Jill-of-all-trades, B, to help with the installation. She spent the day here last Thursday working with hubby on the project.

Here hubby is on the ladder trying to follow suggestions given by B who was on ground level trying to decipher directions in the (almost totally worthless) instruction booklet.

Just look at this mess of tools and instructions on the work table.

I had to make a supply run to town for a needed item and even then the workers ended up fabricating more than one part to get the #*&! unit to work.

After B left for the day, my help was required to hold two bolt heads immobile while hubby tightened them from the other side of the door. (Hey, what would he have done without me?)

I'm glad to say the installation was finally completed but it was more of a challenge than anybody here wanted to experience.

More than once during the project I pointed out that hubby and I are both capable of manually opening and shutting the garage door (we've been doing it for years!) but B and hubby insisted they were both smarter than the door opener and would triumph. And they did. Whew. Sure am glad we can cross that item off the list.

16 comments:

Jane @ Hard Work Homestead said...

Years!? Well I guess we all have those projects that just don't seem to ever get off the list. So glad you got this one done. I am very impressed with the organization of boxes in your garage. Much better than the' just shove it in there' we use here.

Sparkless said...

Oh wow you win an award for persistance! I'd have packed that thing up after the first couple of days and sent it back for a refund.

And my word verification today is 'lards' do you think someone is trying to tell me something? LOL!

Mama Pea said...

Jane - Hubby has been making a concentrated effort to get his garage organized and cleaned up lately. (Boy, did it need it!) More still to go but it's starting to look a lot better. And you'd be surprised to see what treasures he has "found."

Sparkless - "Lards?" I think you're supposed to get out the lard and make some old-fashioned pie crusts!

Anonymous said...

Glad they figured it out! And no, I don't know anyone who has tried to do one, that said it was fun :P

Anonymous said...

We have a used garage door sitting inside the garage that was given to us 3 years ago. We have yet to even look at it. I'm almost afraid too at this point!

Mama Pea said...

My Own Terms - My poor husband has said (now that it is all over) that if he had had any idea all the trouble it would be he would have hired one of the professional garage door opener installers to come do it. Poor guy. :o(

Ruth - I send you best wishes for an easy installation!

Erin said...

That made me laugh when you remarked that you were capable of opening the "regular" door without it being automatic LOL! Of course I'm sure Papa Pea was grumbling something unintelligible by then :) Sorry for your frustration, that is yet another one of those projects that never goes right the first time.

mtnchild said...

I've been up against a Portuguese translating Chinese to English. Aren't they just marvelous? I'm glad you had B come over to help. I hope you've tested it, and remembered the batteries for the opener ... LOL
Hugs
Yvette

Sue said...

It's frustrating trying to complete any project anymore. If it's not shoddy workmanship on the product, it's poorly written directions or worse yet-the inevitable missing part. It shouldn't be this hard. I am content with LESS and LESS because the frustration of any remodel/repair project makes it not worth it to me. Don and I joke that we wish we were smart enough to open our own manufacturing plant....you know, make a QUALITY product, treat workers fairly, be GOOD PEOPLE. Maybe in my next lifetime..........
:D

Amy Dingmann said...

It is a very important job to be the bolt head immobilizer and you did a fabulous job. Hopefully you will not be called upon to do it again anytime in the near future. :) Perhaps you can submit your own set of instructions for inclusion with said garage door opener set. :)

Mama Pea said...

Erin - Never seems to go right the first time. Or second, or third, or fourth! Hopefully, we've got it now.

Yvette - Batteries for the opener . . . check! (That was the easy part!)

Sue - Hubby and I have often thought that there is a real need (and market) for someone who can write good directions!! I swear some of the instruction booklets you get are written by people who have never, ever had any experience with the product they're writing about! Add shoddy materials to that and it's enough to drive you bonkers.

Mama Tea - I wonder if I could hire out as a Bolt Head Immobilizer? (I only fell off my stool once.)

Qwaynt said...

Don worked on one for the new 32 x34 garage we put up this fall. It took him about 3 days to get it done. Me I just stay out of the way....
It was a bit amazing to get to watch him try to b put the lower lazy susan in today. Me I just t stayed out of the way, till I was called.............

Anonymous said...

LOL...I love how you describe the experience. I can see myself in that situation, huffing and puffing away, large mallet in my hand and a very squished unit sitting on the concrete floor! Congrats on your resolve! And yeah, good thing to know that you all could indeed outsmart the darn thing...if you hadn't...what's next, Terminators??? Let's not go there, lol...

Mama Pea said...

Qwaynt - A very smart place to be: Out of the way!! (Sometimes I hide.)

Rain - Believe you me, there were several times when the unit was in danger of just such a fate as you described!

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