Serious question, has anyone else had a coop door motor burn out in the cold?

Mine quit on me Tuesday morning when it was about 15 degrees outside. The little plastic gears just ground to a halt and I could smell that hot electric smell. I had to manually open the run and was late for work. Ended up ordering a new motor unit from the same company, but it won't be here until next week. What do you all use for automatic doors when it gets really cold?

3 comments

3 Comments

karen6681mo ago

What kind of grease did you have on the gears? The factory stuff turns to glue in the cold. I had to take mine apart last winter, clean off all that gunk with rubbing alcohol, and pack it with white lithium grease. That plastic on plastic needs to move easy. @the_vera, if yours just quit, try that before you buy a whole new unit. A little maintenance goes a long way when the temperature drops.

the_vera1mo ago

Ugh, mine just gave up the ghost too.

harris.emma5d ago

Wait the factory grease turns into glue in the cold? That is wild. I never knew that was a thing. My old one just seized up last winter and I tossed it thinking the motor died. Now I feel like an idiot for not looking into that first. White lithium grease on the plastic parts makes so much sense though. I bet half the people throwing these away just have that gummy mess inside.