There’s no doubt that a garage door plays an essential role in your home. It works seamlessly for years, offering a way of easily getting in and out of your home, come rain or shine. However, as hardy as garage doors are, they can sometimes malfunction and leave you in an inconvenient situation.
In this article, we’re going to look at garage door troubleshooting with a quick guide to some common problems.
Quick guide to garage door troubleshooting
There are a few things that can go wrong with your garage door. It can:
- Hesitate
- Make noises while in operation
- Be stuck in an open or closed position
- Refuse to full open or close all the way
- Not respond to button presses in either direction (opening or closing)
If you have been experiencing any of the above issues with your garage door, follow the below guide to start troubleshooting your garage door.
Check the power supply
Your garage door opener won’t work if it is not supplied with power. A good way to check if there is power being sent to your garage door opener is to try turning on the lamp on the opener. Additionally, try plugging something else into the opener’s power outlet. If you notice that the outlet doesn’t have power, try resetting the corresponding beaker.
If the power outlet is working fine, but your garage door opener is unresponsive, it’s a possibility that it could be malfunctioning and requires repairs.
Check the safety cord
If your garage door opener is working and responding correctly, but the door is not moving, you may have mistakenly pulled the safety cord.
Check the safety cord – when the door is in the closed position, “close’ the garage door opener and latch the safety cord back into position.
Reprogram your remote
If you have recently changed your battery, your remote may need to be reprogrammed after a battery change. The majority of garage door remotes work the same, but here’s a more in-depth guide on how to program your garage door remote.
Check your garage door sensors
If it’s the case whereby your garage door doesn’t close properly, chances are your sensor(s) may be faulty or obstructed. Check for anything that may potentially be blocking the sensor (any dust, mud or debris that may have accumulated).
If you clean the sensor and notice the problem persists, you may need a new sensor.
Door doesn’t open correctly?
Make sure your garage door is completely closed, and then pull on the safety cord to unlink the door from the opener. Once you have done this, attempt to lift the garage door by hand. If you notice that it doesn’t open properly, or it’s too difficult to lift, or it goes back down after letting go, then you may need to adjust the racks or change the springs.
What to do if not the above steps didn’t work
If following the above troubleshooting steps didn’t resolve your issue, then your best bet is to call a garage door repair professional. Garage door springs are coiled with a lot of force and can be very dangerous if improperly handled. A professional can help you perform the necessary troubleshooting safely.
