Common reasons why your garage door won’t open
Frustrated with your so-called automatic garage door refusing your commands to open? Before you threaten to get revenge and turn it into a carport, consider that the solution may be easier than you think.
Here are some common causes of an automatic garage door might be malfunctioning.
It’s not getting power
Electric garage doors are—forgive us if this is obvious—powered by electricity. Which means it’s supposed to be plugged into an outlet in your garage. This should be the first thing you check, especially if you’re not hearing any motors trying to run when you push the button. If it’s plugged in but not working, check the circuit breaker for the garage to make sure it hasn’t been tripped.
The door is locked.
Chances are the mere fact that your garage door is electric means it won’t open manually, so there’s little need for a lock. Nevertheless, being locked is still a common cause for a garage door not opening, so double-check especially if you’re the type who locks it before going on a long trip.
The rollers and tracking may be misaligned.
Your garage door—like a sliding closet door or a pull-out desk drawer—uses tracking bars on both sides of your garage opening and is guided on these bars with rolling mechanisms. Occasionally a roller might come off due to an obstructing object or travel awkwardly because the track is bent. With the power disconnected, try to reposition the roller so it’s back on the track. If the track is bent, try “reshaping” it with a heavy mallet or hammer so the roller can move within it.
The photosensor may be dirty.
Automatic garage doors use a photosensor to determine if there are objects in the way. This piece of equipment is usually situated inside the door track, no more than eight inches or so above the ground. Mostly this sensor is used to prevent a garage door from closing—if some object is in the way of its path, it’ll halt the process. But if the photo eye is dirty, it may prevent the door from opening as well. Wipe the lens of the photosensor off with a soft towel.
The torsion spring may be broken.
Many automatic garage doors have a thick, tightly coiled spring situated horizontally just above the door. This spring twists tightly whenever the door is closing, which helps provide sufficient pulling action the next time the door is opened. Over time this spring may get permanently damaged or broken, which makes it too weak to raise the door. You’ll need to have it replaced by a licensed technician if that’s the case.
The trolley and chain component may be disconnected.
Somewhere, suspended in the middle of your garage ceiling, there should be a box, connected to a long metal bar, or trolley, which is perpendicular to the garage door. Inside this bar is a chain—sort of an extra-long bicycle chain—that travels through the trolley and gets wrapped up inside the box when the garage door opens. When it closes, it unfurls outside of the box. Finally, somewhere between the box and the door rests a dangling cord which, when pulled, disconnects the trolley from the chain and forces you to operate the garage door manually. Check to see if this is the case. Your owner’s manual should provide detailed instructions on how to reconnect the trolley for automatic use.
The pull-force setting may need adjustment.
Over years of continuous use, the force required to open an automatic garage door can gradually increase. This force is regulated by a controller on the panel of the garage door motor (that box hanging near the middle of your ceiling). It’s always worth adjusting this setting once a year, but if your garage door isn’t opening, you may need to do so now. The process usually involves standing on a stepladder and modifying the force with simple, everyday tools; check your operating manual for specific instructions.
The remote may need attention.
If your door isn’t opening when you push the remote—especially if it works fine when you use the wall switch—then it may need to be reset. Your garage door instruction manual should provide instructions on how to do this; if you don’t have one or can’t find it, check on the manufacturer’s website. Alternately, your remote’s battery may need to be replaced.
