If you’ve had the opportunity to live in areas where you had to find street parking and a home with a garage, you know how convenient it can be. Avoiding the hassle of finding a parking spot while all your neighbors come home is beautiful, but you’ll be right back at square one if your garage door fails to open. A failing garage door opener is a common reason your door might get stuck or fail to open. But what might cause these opener problems, and what can you do to correct them?
The Garage Keypad Won’t Work
You might be familiar with a garage remote controller, but some garages also have keypads. When your keypad doesn’t work, it’ll be virtually impossible to open or close the door. Sometimes, a broken keypad isn’t actually a broken keypad. First, try replacing the keypad batteries; if that doesn’t work, make sure that the keypad is in range. Next, try reprogramming the keypad, which will allow the motor to help it recognize the code sent from the keypad.
Your Garage Door Opener Switch Won’t Work
Garage doors also have switches; when these don’t work, it can be due to an accidental press of the “lock” button. Other times the motor might be unplugged, causing problems with the garage door. One of the more common problems with garage door openers is a blown circuit breaker or fuse. Check for lights that don’t operate in the garage or recall any repeated incidents of a tripping fuse. In severe cases, your motor might be burnt out, which requires a call to your garage door experts.
Your Opener Has a Faulty Remote
Most homeowners are familiar with opening their garage using a remote. However, remotes are battery-powered, meaning that dead batteries can render the remote useless, or you might not be in range of the opener. If you’ve canceled out these two problems, check for a locked garage door, or evaluate the motor or your garage door safety systems, as they might be malfunctioning and causing your door to stay shut or not open and close properly.
Your Opener Motor Runs, But the Door Doesn’t Move
Is your motor moving, but the garage door isn’t actually opening? This is a major red flag, but fortunately, its causes are straightforward. When the door is disconnected from the belt, the motor will operate but won’t have anything to move. This usually occurs when the emergency cord gets pulled, placing the door in manual mode. Additionally, sometimes rollers get stiff during winter due to the weather change, and the door fails to open. Proper lubrication is key, so be sure to give your local garage door service a call for maintenance on your opener, tracks, and rollers each year.
The Door Reverses or Won’t Fully Close
A door that won’t fully close is a huge safety hazard, and the most likely cause is your opener. Believe it or not, your door doesn’t just know when to stop where it does when it closes. When installed, garage door contractors set a limit for the door, indicating when it’s supposed to stop closing. This limit prevents the motor from pushing the door into the ground, but when it’s off, it can tell the door to shut earlier than it should or force the door to reverse.
Additionally, a dirty or faulty photo-eye can cause your door to malfunction. Photo-eyes are the safety system of your door, preventing the door from dropping on top of objects in the way. If the photo eye is misaligned or dirty, your opener will receive a signal to open, preventing it from fully closing and reversing. Clean off your photo eye with a rag, or re-align it to ensure it works properly.
Don’t Let a Faulty Opener Keep Your Door Closed — Get Yours Serviced With Howell Door Company
What good is a garage door opener if it can’t open your door? It can get frustrating to know that your door is having trouble, but you can avoid these issues by calling your local contractors. At Howell Door Company, we are garage door repair experts for West Chester, PA, residents, and homeowners in the surrounding areas. So when your opener gets stuck or fails to work correctly, contact our team today, and we’ll quickly make your opener as good as new.