How To Troubleshoot Garage Door Opener Problems

Duluth Garage Door Repair

Is your garage door just not opening? No matter how many times you press the button, that door just will not budge. If so, you may be having problems with your garage door opener. Below find some common issues that may come up with your door, and tips you can use to troubleshoot issues with your garage door opener.

Before you start, check your door. Sometimes home owners think there is a problem with the garage door opener when the problem really lies elsewhere. Disconnect your automatic garage door opener and try to operate the door manually. The door should lift easily, even while disconnected. The door should also open and close smoothly. Lastly, close the door. It should not slam down. If the door does not seem to be working correctly while in manual operation mode - this points to an issue with your springs, rollers or tracks and not the garage door opener.

 

Door goes up, but will only close when the wall switch is pressed

If you are having this issue, most likely your garage door sensors are acting up. Do a visual check - are the garage door sensors aligned? The small lights on the sensors should be lit up when there is nothing between them. If you have had your sensors for a while, they may need replacing. Just like any piece of equipment you own, the sensors efficacy can start to wear down due to time and age. If there is no light being emitted from your sensors, they are not working and will probably need to be replaced. Also remember, if direct sunlight is shining on the sensors it can cause them to malfunction.

Garage door works, but it reverses on its own

If you press the button to close the garage door and it closes all the way, then reverses and opens again on its own - this can point to issues with your garage settings. Perhaps the travel limits or force limits were not programmed correctly. Or there could be damage on your tracks.

If your issue is that when you press the button to close the door, it starts down and suddenly reverses before it fully goes down the track - this could point to a sensor issue. Take a look at the sensors - is there something blocking the beams? If so, this is giving the sensors the impression that someone/something is there. If there is a blockage, the good part is that this is an easy fix, and your doors are operating as they should. Remove the debris and try again, your door should be in proper working order now.

Issues with the remote

You keep pressing and pressing the button for the garage door opener, but the door refuses to move. So, you go to the wall switch - success! The garage door opens and closes with no issues. If this is your case, you can feel sure the issue lies with your garage door opener. There may be an easy fix to this issue. Check the batteries! Your garage door remote may simply need a new set of batteries. If that doesn’t work, your remote may have an electrical short. If this is the case the remote should be replaced. You can different models of garage door openers at your local home improvement store. And even if they don’t carry your manufacturer, there are universal remotes that may work for you.

Garage door opens and closes by itself

Has this ever happened to you? You haven’t pressed a button on your garage door remote, and the door opens (or closes) all by itself? It can be a baffling experience. You will twist around to see if someone has activated the wall switch, but of course no one is there. So what could the cause be? This one may be a simple fix. Sometimes a neighbor's garage door remote can be programmed on the same frequency as yours. So when they activate their door opener - it activates your garage door as well. The quick fix for this is to erase and reprogram your garage door opener codes. If you do this, and the door still opens or closes on its own, you may be dealing with a wiring issue. Your opener may have a short. Another cause could be a defective wall unit, in which case the unit would have to be replaced. A qualified technician can help you with this.

Garage door works intermittently

If your garage door seems to have a mind of its own, and chooses when it will or will not work - it can be very inconvenient. This type of issue is generally due to radio interference. A lot of consumer electronics utilize radio frequencies. Sometimes these frequencies can interrupt the frequency going to your garage door - which will cause the door to malfunction. To test if radio frequency interruption is the issue, simply bring your remote close to the motor unit and use the remote as normal. If the door functions correctly, then the issue is probably due to radio interference. To fix this issue, you will have to find the source of the radio interruption and move it or turn it off.

Broken Springs

If your garage door remains stubbornly closed, and both your remote and motor are in proper working order, then you may be dealing with a broken spring issue. This can be a major issue for garage doors. If you’re home when the springs go, you will probably hear a loud bang. Garage door springs operate under a lot of tension, in fact it’s the springs that do the heavy lifting. If any of your springs break, the remaining springs may not be able to bear the weight of opening the door. If springs are the issue, they should be handled by a professional.


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