Most garage doors work like a charm and operate trouble-free for years. But inevitably, something will go wrong eventually. Age, user-error and general bad luck can be culprits. Most garage door problems are easily fixable, but it helps to know what’s going wrong in the first place. Here’s how to troubleshoot the most common garage door problems and what you can do to fix them.
A Gap Between the Rollers & Rail
This problem is usually first noticed when there’s a rubbing sound as the door opens and closes. You inspect the door and notice there’s a gap between the rollers and the rail. Often, the track itself is not straight. While this is a fairly easy problem to fix, you need to address it immediately. Otherwise your garage door could easily come off track. The track is held to the frame with several screws. Loosen the screws. Reposition the track so it is completely horizontal. Retighten the screws.
Door Doesn’t Open or Close All the Way
Garage doors have a safety mechanism that prevents them from closing all the way if something is in the way. If your garage door doesn’t close, check to see if something is blocking the path of the garage door.
If the path is clear, check the tracks. You might have a build up of dirt or gunk that prevents the rollers from moving down the tracks at a certain point. Be sure to check every inch, even the high up parts. Use a ladder if necessary.
You should also check your garage door photo eyes. These are 2 disks at the bottom of your garage door that transmit a signal. If the signal gets interrupted because something is in the way, the door will reverse itself. Make sure the photo eyes are positioned correctly, clean, and not blocked in anyway.
Motor Runs & Shuts Off But Doesn’t Open the Door
If your motor runs and shuts off without opening your door, you may have accidentally manually locked the garage door. Check your torsion springs to see if there’s anything in the way. If it’s clear, your next step is to check the manual lock. These are common on older doors, but some new ones have it as well. Look for a handle in the middle of the door with several bars on either side of it. Some require buttons; others are just a handle to twist. Unlock the garage door by twisting the handle.
Transmitter Doesn’t Work
Your transmitter might not work for a number of reasons. You might be out of range. Your antenna might be bent or knocked down. If the antenna is damaged, you’ll need to have it fixed by a garage door repair professional.
Transmitter Operates Wildly
If your transmitter seems to work with a mind of its own, you might have a frequency issue. Your door might be responding from frequencies from a neighbors’ transmitter. You’ll need to change the frequency of your garage door opener by following the instructions in the owner’s manual.
If you’re still having problems, you might need to reprogram your garage door opener. This is especially common after a power outage. Press the hold button and wait for a blinking light to appear, then press another button.
Door Comes Crashing Down
If your door suddenly comes crashing down, your garage door cables are likely broke. This can be extremely dangerous because the door is very heavy. It also can cause serious damage to the door itself.
If your cables are broken, it’s not something you can repair yourself. Call a garage door professional.
Broken cables are one reason we encourage our customers to have their garage doors inspected regularly. Most cables show signs they are ready to break. Spot the problem ahead of time and have them replaced. This can avoid an extremely dangerous situation.