Garage doors are opened and closed around three to five times a day on average, resulting in various parts of the opening system experiencing quite a bit of wear and tear. Issues are bound to arise at some point that prevent the garage door from working as it should. Whether the problem is the opener or the garage door itself, most issues are fairly minor.
Other than simple problems, most should be left to a garage door opener repair professional due to the potential for injury and risk of causing further damage.
Garage Door Won’t Open
If you’re using your keypad or remote and your garage door isn’t opening, check that the batteries in the remote are not dead. Next, make sure your keypad isn’t dead and that it has power. In other words, if the door isn’t opening with the remote, use the keypad instead. If the door isn’t opening with the keypad, try the remote.
You’ll also want to check that you can hear the opener motor running when you try to open the door. If the motor fails to turn on when you try both the remote and the keypad, it likely does not have power. Make sure that the opener is still plugged in and that your home has power. In some cases, the opener might not be receiving power due to a larger electrical issue or power outage or that the opener is simply dead and needs to be replaced.
If you hear the motor running but nothing happens, go inside the garage and make sure that the chain or belt is still attached and hasn’t come loose. You also want to check that no one pulled the release cord and detached the trolley from the opener.
Once you have checked and determined that these components are working, check that the spring is intact. Most modern garage doors have a single torsion spring located just above the door. Some have two extension springs located above the tracks. The spring or springs support most of the door’s weight so the opener can easily open it. If a spring is broken, the door will be so heavy that the opener won’t be able to lift it.
You’ll be able to immediately see if a broken extension spring: It will be missing or hanging loose. A broken torsion spring can be harder to spot. The trolley must be disconnected from the opener, and then try to open the door by hand. If the door feels much heavier than usual or won’t stay open when you lift it partway, the spring is broken and must be replaced before you can use the opener again.
Door Won’t Close
A door that won’t close indicates a problem with the remote, keypad or opener, as previously mentioned, but this is more common due to an issue with the safety sensors near the ground on each side of the door. These sensors ensure that the door can’t close if a person or object is in the way.
If the sensors are misaligned or dead, the opener won’t come on when you use the remote or keypad. The sensors can also stop working when one of the lenses is covered in dust, preventing the beam of light from shining between them. One sensor sends the beam of light, and the other receives it. The sending sensor usually displays a solid yellow or orange light to show that it’s working, and the receiving sensor should have a solid green light. A red or blinking light indicates that the sensors aren’t working properly. If either light is off, it means that the sensor isn’t receiving power.
Door Doesn’t Open or Close Fully
Another common issue is the garage door opening or closing only partway. This most often occurs as a result of the tracks being misaligned or bent.
If the vertical sections of the tracks aren’t perfectly parallel with the door, the door could become jammed when it moves up and down. You can try lightly loosening the screws or bolts on each track and then gently tapping the track back into the correct position using a rubber mallet to see if that fixes the problem. However, DIY solutions can easily damage the tracks and could lead to the need for replacement. Your best bet is to hire a professional to adjust the tracks.
Even a minor dent or bend in the vertical or horizontal section of the track could lead to the rollers binding up and blocking the door from moving further. If the track is warped or twisted out of position, the roller could even become loose. In this case, the door on one side could sag as a result of the disconnection.
You may be able to reattach it fairly easily, but this will require you to bend the track yourself and reattach the roller before gently bending the track back into position, which could again lead to additional damage.
If your garage door opens just fine but doesn’t close fully, the door might be out of balance, and the spring could need to be readjusted. A professional should always adjust the garage door springs. You should not attempt to adjust garage door springs. These springs are under extreme tension, and they could snap and injure or even kill you or someone else if you’re not careful and don’t know exactly what you’re doing.
Door Moves Slowly
If your garage door opens and closes more slowly than normal, the opener may be beginning to wear out and might soon need to be replaced. In this case, you’ll typically notice that the opener is louder than normal as well.
A slower-than-normal garage door opener could also indicate that your rollers are worn out or need lubrication.
Garage door rollers typically last anywhere from two to 15 years. Plastic rollers aren’t particularly durable and wear out quickly. Steel rollers are more durable and last longer as long as they are lubricated regularly. Nylon rollers with sealed bearings do not need to be lubricated and can sometimes last the life of the garage door.
Your garage door should open and close quietly. If it begins to squeal or squeak, the rollers are likely worn out or need lubrication. They may also be dirty or have debris obstructing the tracks and preventing the rollers from moving smoothly.
Garage door repair issues can be frustrating, compromising the safety and functionality of your home. If you’re experiencing any issues with your garage door, Lewis Door Service is here to help. We’ve been in business for more than 50 years and can take care of all of your garage door repair, maintenance and installation needs.
We serve residential and commercial customers in Shepherdsville, Louisville and the surrounding areas in Kentucky and Louisiana. For garage door service you can count on, contact Lewis Door Service.
