Common Garage Door Problems
If you’re searching for common garage door problems and want to find the best solutions this post is for you. Read through some of the common garage door problems and our solutions. If these tips don’t resolve your problem please call for garage door repair service.
Object In Path Of Door
Garage doors since the 90’s have been built with safety mechanisms which help cut down on garage door injuries. The auto reverse systems watch for people, pets, and property which might be injured or damaged and stops the door from closing. Common reasons the system will stop the door is toys, cars, or other things in the path of the door. There are also times where dirt buildup on the track will mimic something being “felt” by the system and cause it to auto reverse.
Many times this can be resolved by simply checking to make sure there is nothing in the path of the door, or there isn’t excessive buildup in the track.
Dead Remote Batteries
If you’re using a garage door remote and your system isn’t working when you press the button, the most common reason is dead batteries. The easiest way to find out if it is the remote is to check to see if your garage door button in the house will operate the door. If it does it’s likely that all you need is a fresh set of batteries in your remote.
Typically all you need to do is undo a screw and slide the back of the remote open to swap out the batteries. Just line up the negative and positive symbols inside your remote with the batteries and you’ll be set.
Vehicle Has Forgotten Code
If you’ve programmed your car, suv, or truck with your garage door code and the vehicle has been serviced there is a chance the code will be forgotten. Some repairs require unhooking the battery and things like garage door codes, radio stations, and time settings will need to be redone. If this is the case you will just need to reprogram your vehicle by following your manufacturer owner’s guide.
Door Is Locked Manually
Garage doors are typically equipped with a manual locking system which is commonly used for times where you’ll be away for an extended period of time. Longer vacations are a common reason to lock your garage. The locking system is a common problem as it is fairly easy to accidentally engage the lock on older garage door models. A small mutton on the side or top of the handle is all it takes to accidentally lock the garage door.
To unlock your door usually all you need to do is turn the handle until you hear a clicking sound. This will retract the horizontal bars from the frame and set the handle to the open position.
Bad Photo Eye Alignment
While just about every kid from the 80’s might have slid under a closing garage door like Indiana Jones, garage doors built after 1993 are equipped with photo eyes that watch for people in the path of the door. These photo eyes use an invisible beam to watch for anything in the path of the door, and will auto reverse the door if anything is detected. If the door opens with no problem but hesitates when you go to close it you may need to adjust or clean your photo eyes.
Dirty Photo Eyes
Dirty photo eyes need to be cleaned so they don’t think something is in the way when the door begins to close. This can be done by treating the photo eyes like a camera lens and use soft cloth and mild cleaner that is streak free. Ensure that the photo is gently but fully cleaned and dry.
Misaligned Photo Eyes
Another common problem with photo eyes is when people are moving things around in the garage or working and the photo eyes get bumped. While they are mounted tightly they can be moved so they beam isn’t being properly sent and received. This will cause the door system to sense that something is in the way and prevent it from closing. Ensure they are both at the same height and use a level to check to make sure they are straight.
Lost In Transmission
Batteries are not the only thing that can be wrong with a garage door remote. Different garage door openers and remotes are capable of operating from difference distances. You may simply be trying to operate your door from further away than it was designed.
Check the antenna – a common problem with remotes successfully sending a signal to the opener is tha the antenna is blocked or damaged. Make sure it is hanging straight down and nothing is blocking it. Also watch for signs of damage on your antenna as it will prevent the system from working also.
Spontaneous Operation
If your garage door is acting like its having a nervous breakdown and operating without you touching a button there is a chance the unit will need to be replaced, but there are more common explanations.
Check The Remote
There are times where the opener is stuck where something is pressing the button in your vehicle. Make sure it isn’t dropped between the seats getting pressed half a million times. There is also a chance your neighbor has inadvertently bought or set a garage door system with your same frequency. This is unlikely but possible.
Disconnect Switch Enabled
The disconnect switch is used for when there are power outages. It releases the garage door from the opener and lets you operate the garage door manually. If the cord has been pulled and the door isn’t connected to the track, it isn’t going to go very far no matter how many times you push the button.
To fix this problem open your garage door all the way and reattach the hook so your door is connected to the garage door opener track system. This should resolve this problem.
Broken Garage Door Springs
When the garage door has power and is trying to work but it isn’t going anywhere there is a chance your garage door springs have broken. If these torsion springs fail while you are home you will know it, there is a loud bang when they break. It is so loud in fact that many people believe a firecracker has been set off. This is due to the springs being the primary lifting component which lifts the heavy doors, not the opener.
Doors are equipped with two springs and if one has failed your opener will struggle or simply not be able to lift your garage door. Garage door spring repair is a task that only professionals should attempt as these springs are under an incredible amount of tension. Injuries are common and some are fatal, so exercise extreme caution if your garage door springs have failed.