A garage door opener is one of the most crucial gadgets in your household. It helps you open and close the heavy garage door with just the click of a button and little effort. However, like most other electronics, it is prone to wear and tear, and can malfunction periodically. A little troubleshooting every now and then can ensure that your garage door opener is healthy. Typically, a garage door opener malfunctions due to the following 8 reasons,
1. Partial Closing
There is a possibility that your garage door is opening properly but is not closing completely. You can conduct a preliminary check to see where the fault lies.
- Begin by checking the safety sensors. Make sure that there is no blockage between them. these sensors are located near the base of your garage door on its either side. In order for these sensors to work properly. They require a clear line-of-sight.
- If the sensors are working alright then the next step is to check the rollers for any fault. You can easily spot if the rollers are damaged or rusty. You can apply some silicone-based lubricant to get them working temporarily but they must eventually be replaced.
- If there is no problem with either the sensor or the rollers, then inspect the close limit switch. There is a possibility that the door is stopping before closing completely due to an incorrect setting in the limit switch. You can readjust the setting to make sure that it closes completely.
2. Partial Opening
In the opposite scenario to point number 1, you might have a situation where your garage door is not opening completely. This can make it exceedingly difficult when you are running late for work. Rollers and limit switch can be the suspects in this case as well.
- There is a possibility that the up limit on the switch requires tweaking. Begin by moving the switch neared to the motor unit. There is a high possibility of this problem occurring if you have installed a new garage door.
- Check the rollers to see if they are rusty or damaged beyond repair. The rust can be controlled by keeping the rollers lubricates.
- Also, the rollers can become stiff during winter months. In such a case the door opener might open partially or refuse to open altogether. Here again, lubricating can help resolve this issue. On the other hand, it is always recommended to consult a professional near you to adjust the door sensitivity limits so that it opens properly.
3. Malfunctioning Remote
You might find yourself pressing the button har on the remote without any possible reaction from the garage door. You can easily draw the conclusion that your garage door opener remote is not working properly. This could occur due to the following reasons,
- You are pressing the button when you are not within the acceptable range to the motor.
- If you are in range and the door is still not responding, then check with the wall switch to see where the problem lies. If the door is reacting to the wall switch, then the remote is faulty.
- There is a possibility that the battery is dead. This is the most common reason why remotes stop working. Here, simply replacing the battery can get your remote working again.
4. Grinding Noise and Gaps
Annoying noises from the garage door could be due to a host of reasons including, squeaky components, loose hardware, cheap parts, etc. Fortunately, lubrication is the one simple solution to all these noises causing malfunctioning of the garage door. However, if you continue to hear strange noises from the garage door, then it is time to hire the services of experts.
Gaps or cracks are more common in wooden garage doors. Use a sealant or a waterproof filler to fill in the gaps. The weather sealant is meant to keep the water out. Further, it reduces noise and seals any air leaks. Replace any exposed seams, or cracks if the sealant is broken. Also, periodically replacing the weather sealant is good for a healthy garage door opener.
5. Broken Springs
Your transmitters are working correctly, and power is flowing to the garage door opener motor but still, your garage door refuses to open. This could be a classic case of broken torsion springs. These springs do all the hard work of lifting the door up and closing it down. The garage door is a very heavy piece of metal therefore, these heavy-duty springs can undergo wear and tear.
Typically, every three years or so, your garage door springs require replacement. The springs located at the top end of the door need not require a complete replacement. You only need to change the ones that are broken. However, replacing all springs together can be more cost-effective in the long run.
If the springs are broken, then don’t attempt to correct this on your own as it can be very dangerous to replace these all by yourself. Instead, call a professional service located near your home and let them inspect the issue.
6. Door Does Not Stay Closed
The garage doors are designed with a robust reversing mechanism. This is to make sure that the door goes back up if there is something in its path. Consider it as a safety mechanism to ensure that the heavy door does not crush anything accidentally. Your garage door comes equipped with safety devices known as photo-eye. These small plastic devices are located on either side of the garage door.
- The first possibility is that the devices are not working properly due to a malfunction.
- The other possibility is that there is an obstruction in front of these devices or that they are dusty and require a cleaning session.
- There is also the possibility of a misalignment between the 2 photo-eyes.
A photo-eye is like a camera lens. Therefore, clean it gently making sure that you don’t create any scratches. Remove any obstruction or debris and try again.
In case the eyes are clean but still not working properly, check their alignment. Both the eyes must point in the exact same direction and should also be at the same angle. If they are not properly aligned, then they won’t register each other’s presence. Instead, it relays the message that there is an obstruction, these eyes will keep the door from closing.
Measure the distance of the ground from one photo-eye and then do the same for the other. Professionals use a laser level to make sure that the two photo-eyes are pointing exactly at each other.
7. Motor Issues
In a normal scenario, the motor of the garage door should stop once you have successfully closed the door. However, if you find yourself in a situation where the motor keeps running even after the garage door has shut down, then there could be a problem in the garage door opener system.
While this is not a common problem, it usually occurs in newly installed garage door opener systems. The key component here is the up limit switch. The switch must be installed at the correct distance from the motor. This allows,
- The door to close all the way
- And, the motor knows when to stop running after the door has closed.
This problem is solved by tweaking the up-limit switch. Gradually, move it further while checking it to ensure that the door closes completely and the motor ceases to make any noise.
8. Misalignment of Track
The wrong alignment of the metal track can be a serious issue for your garage door. A metal track is a piece of equipment that your door runs on. It must be correctly aligned without any gaps between rail or roller for the door to function smoothly.
If you find any gaps or bends the there is a problem with your track. As mentioned above, the door is very heavy, and this weight can worsen the problem making it highly dangerous to open or close the door.
You can realign the door track by following instructions, however, a professional will have the necessary tools to carry this out is a secure manner. Normally, it is recommended to hire the services rather than tackling this problem on your own. Plus, if the track is beyond repair then the professionals can provide installation services as well for a new track door.
A malfunctioning garage door can lock your car in, leaving you troubled. Therefore, if you feel that you could be facing any of the above-mentioned issues, then refrain from parking your car indoors. Also, call a professional to diagnose the problem correctly.
While you can also repair a garage door opener or the related issues on your own, a professional can do this more accurately. With services all over California, including, Fountain Valley and Lake Forest, we are ideally placed to respond faster thereby, saving you time, cost, and effort.
