There are several reasons why a garage door won’t open or close. Troubleshooting the issue will help you decide whether you can solve the issue yourself or need a professional to repair. Here are some of the most common reasons why your garage door does not open or close properly and how to fix the problem.
Dead Batteries in the Transmitter
While this might sound like an obvious issue, the truth is, most people do not think about testing or replacing their transmitter batteries until they become unusable. If your garage won’t open with the remote, the first thing you should check is the batteries.
You can easily test your transmitter batteries by testing each device to see if the door will open or close. Test the wall mounted remote in the garage first and then each transmitter device to confirm which ones work and which ones do not. Replace the old batteries with new ones in the remotes that do not open or close the overhead door.
Blocked or Dirty Photo Eye
The photo eye is a photoelectric sensor installed near the bottom of the overhead garage door frame. It is a safety feature that detects when a person or object is in the doorway so the garage door won’t close unexpectedly on them. If the photo eye is blocked or dirty, it cannot sense if an object is in the doorway so the garage door will not open or close.
If the lens is dirty, you can clean it using a mild glass cleaner and clean cloth that won’t scratch the glass. Also check the alignment to ensure that each eye is pointing straight at each other so the sensors can read each other and not interfere with the door’s movements. If there is debris stuck in the lens or other damage to the photo eye, a certified technician should be called to repair the photo eye.
No Power
Another common reason why your garage door is not opening is because there is no power. Overhead doors have an opener (also called operator) at the top that requires 120 volts to lift and lower the door. If the power is disrupted, the garage door won’t open.
First check to make sure your garage door opener is plugged into a working outlet and the cord is intact. It is easy for the cord to become disconnected or damaged over time. Inspect your electrical circuits and fuses to ensure they are supplying enough power to your overhead door outlet. And finally, check to make sure there are no outages in your area.
Door Is Manually Locked
Many overhead doors have manual locks installed for added security. If the lock has been manually activated, your garage door won’t open when you press the transmitter button. If this is the issue, deactivate the lock and try using the transmitter again. Your door should open.
Broken or Damaged Torsion Spring
The torsion spring is a highly tense, metallic coil that supports the weight of the door when it opens and closes. If this spring is damaged or broken, your garage door will not open so the spring will need to be replaced by an expert who specializes in automatic garage door installation and repair. You should never try to fix the torsion spring yourself because it can cause serious injury.
Cables are Disengaged or Broken
Garage cables help move the door up and down so they bear a lot of weight every time you open or close your garage door. This ongoing stress causes wear and tear that, over time, can cause the cables to disengage or snap completely. If this happens, your garage door won’t open or close until the cables are reconnected or replaced. Contact us at Fix It Right Garage Doors to install new cables.
Limit Setting Needs to be Adjusted
If your garage door won’t close fully or remain closed, chances are the limit setting needs to be adjusted. The limit setting tells your door how far down it needs to go to close completely. If the limit setting is off, it will not recognize the ground when the door makes contact. Instead, it will think the door has hit an object and automatically lift the door off the ground. Consult your owner’s manual on how to adjust your limit correctly.
There are many reasons why your garage door won’t open or close. At Fix It Right Garage Doors, we can help you with your overhead garage door repairs.
