7 Reasons Why Your Garage Door Won’t Open

Nothing is more annoying than dealing with a garage door that is stuck. As the most frequently used exit and entrance in the average residential house, the garage door is subjected to regular wear and tear. Thus, it is common to face functional problems now and then.

The reasons behind the malfunctioning of your garage door can be plenty. From broken torsion springs and cables to door misalignment, there can be several reasons that may cause your garage door to stop functioning. It is essential to understand the common issues and the severity of the problem so you can decide whether it is necessary to call a professional.

Your Photo Eye is Blocked:

Most of the garage doors installed nowadays have a photo eye that spots a person, animal or object blocking the door from lowering down. This photo eye emits a laser through the length of the garage to make sure nothing is obstructing the passage. If interjected, it will disrupt the signal to lower the door and instead, pull it in the opposite direction.

So make sure that your photo-eye is working as sometimes, a downpour can damage it. Also, see if the cord attached to the eye is impaired or cut. Dirt can again clog the eye, so it is advisable to clean it from time to time.

The operator receives no power:

It is another one of the common reasons why your garage door won’t open. Many times, the operator has no power connection due to an unplugged power cord. Besides, a circuit breaker or a blown fuse may also prevent the operator from receiving power.

Lastly, the problem could also be due to a faulty outlet. To find out the exact reason, you can try plugging an electric gadget into the socket and see if it works. If it fails to power, there is a problem with the outlet that needs to be repaired by a technician.

The remote control is malfunctioning:

Sometimes, the remote control for opening the garage door may stop working. There could be plenty of reasons for this, including expired remote transmitter batteries. Other than that, you could be out of range so the sensor cannot detect the signal. Even the antenna on the motor that receives that signal may be damaged or blocked.

In either case, check if the door is opening directly by pressing the wall switch. If it does, there is something wrong with the remote control.

The torsion spring is broken:

If the garage door doesn’t lift, but the motor is running, the chances are that there is a problem with the door springs.

A broken door spring is one of the most common and risky problems that can occur with a garage door opening system. In every assembly, the door is steered by a couple of torsion springs that help in the horizontal movement. Besides, the assembly also includes two extension springs that facilitate vertical movement. Because of the frequent door opening and closing, these springs tend to exhaust their lifecycle and break, causing the door to stop working.

The cables are snapped:

The power from the torsion spring is transmitted to the door via a cable. If this cable has snapped, likely, the door won’t open.

A snapped cable is an even bigger problem than broken torsion springs. It is because the wires are the only thing that prevents the door from coming slamming down on the ground. Apart from making a loud, booming sound, this could also lead to catastrophic damage caused to a vehicle, person, animal, or anything else that is in the way.

The door track is misaligned:

The garage door rolls up and down easily along the metal tracks present on both sides. And for smooth operation, it is essential that the tracks are straight and even on either side.

Even if the track becomes slightly ajar, it can disrupt the movement of the door, eventually making it worse. So carefully scan the track for any bumps, bends, obstacles, or gaps. Listen out for any screeches and even look for signs of friction. In case you find any misalignments, get them repaired immediately.

Your sensitivity is out of adjustment:

It is another common issue, especially with newly installed garage doors. If the sensitivity is too high or low, the door will entirely not open. With new doors, sometimes the opener is set to an arbitrary factory setting that does not work with the door in question.

So, it is essential to go through the manufacturer’s directions and reset the sensitivity to a level that matches your door’s mechanisms. Once you adjust the close force and limit switch to the accurate levels, your door will start operating just fine.

Wrapping Up

There are several reasons why your garage door won’t open. It could be because of something as simple as dead remote batteries or severe issues like snapped cables or broken torsion springs. Once you find out the exact problem, you can get in touch with a professional technician to fix the issue.

Author Bio

Rebecca Siggers is a full-time content marketing specialist and a passionate writer who loves to write about creating an aesthetic and ambient living environment for everyone. She focuses on sharing ideas and techniques learned from his experience in a concise manner so that it can be used by everyone to make their surroundings beautiful to live in. Currently, She’s working With Garage Door Companies as Freelancer