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Your garage door is a convenience that you probably use as a part of your routine every single day. You rely on your garage door to function correctly to protect your vehicle and the other items that you store in your garage, while giving you quick access to your garage at the press of a button. When something goes wrong, it can range from a minor irritation to a major hassle that throws off your whole day. While many issues can strike your garage door, one of the most frustrating is when your garage door stops working entirely.
The first thing you should check when your garage door won’t operate is whether or not either your remote or your wall switch works. If one of these works to open your door, then the one that doesn’t is probably where the problem is isolated. If your garage door still opens with your wall switch but not with your remote, the first thing you should do is change the batteries in your remote. Also make sure that the battery terminals are clear from grime or corrosion and that the new batteries can make a good connection. Sometimes this is all it takes to make your garage door run smoothly again.
Your garage door has a safety feature installed that features photo eye sensors that form a laser path across the door opening. When the sensors are obstructed in any way, a signal is sent to the door mechanism to immediately stop and go in reverse to prevent any type of injury or damage to whatever is obstructing the photo eye. Because your garage door is so heavy and is motor-powered, this is an important safety feature. However, when the sensors are picking up an obstruction that is not actually there, this can make it so your garage door doesn’t work at all. Because the sensors are so small, you might not consider this to be a possible cause. Inspect the sensor eyes to see if there is any damage or debris. Also check the wires for any signs of wear and tear.
If you don’t find a cause that would make your photo eye think that there is a blockage, the issue might be the alignment of the sensors. Usually this will cause the door to be unable to close, but sometimes it will keep the door open. You can align the sensors yourself using a simple process that involves running a string along the door opening and matching it up. Make sure the sensors are completely level.
If your door won’t close at all and is just left stuck completely or partially open, there may actually be a blockage that is preventing it from moving. This could be caused by a build-up of debris on the track, by lawn roughage such as branches or leaves in the wrong place, or items inside the garage like lawn tools that have accidentally fallen in the door’s path. Inspect your door both inside and outside for any items that could be blocking it, no matter how small.
You may not be aware of it, but your garage door has a switch that turns it on and off and therefore locks it in place. This switch is called the manual lock. The manual lock is useful for situations where you want to turn the power off completely to your garage door, such as if a spring breaks or if you need to inspect the wiring. It’s also a useful feature if you need to use your garage door during a power outage.
Sometimes, however, this manual lock can get switched on accidentally. This will cause the door not to operate at all from either the wall switch or the remote. Check this switch and make sure that it is not switched on.
If you’ve tried all of the fixes listed here and your garage door still won’t budge, then it’s time to call in a professional garage door repair company. A skilled garage door repair company can assess the problem and has the knowledge and experience to quickly figure out the issue and give you the best solution.
If your door is still not working, it’s probably due to an issue with the springs or cables. That’s generally the most common cause of your garage door not working that requires a repair technician.
