A Definitive Guide to Troubleshooting Your Garage Door Problems

 

If one day you wake up and you realize that the mechanism that opens the garage door is no longer working, then you will need to troubleshoot it. The good news here is that the issues are normally easy to find, and even easier to fix.

In this article, we look at some of the most common issues; additionally, we will also be looking at the possible methods of repairing the said issues. However, if these remedies do not work, then we would recommend you to hire the professionals, or better yet, get in touch with the manufacturer.

 

Remote Control And Wall Switch Won’t Do Anything

 

If you are opening your garage door with a remote control, or the switch on the wall, but it is not opening, chances are that the power source is not working in order.

This issue is actually easier to figure out, and in majority of cases, it is the motor unit that is not plugged in. You would need to check the outlet where you have plugged in the door opening, and just check whether the wire is plugged in or not.

Additionally, in rarer situations, there can be a chance that the fuse, the circuit breaker that is responsible for delivering power to the door opener is not working. To identify this cause, just check whether other electrical components in the garage are working or not.

If they are not working, then you will need to reset the circuit breaker, or install a new fuse if the older one is no longer working. However, if the circuit breaker is tripping constantly, then you might be facing a short-circuit.

Lastly, if you have tried out everything and the issue still persists, I would suggest hiring professionals to take a look at the garage door itself to see if the problem is within the system.

 

The Garage Door is Not Responding to Remote Control or The Keypad

 

If the garage door is not responding to either the remote control, or the keypad, then there can be several reasons behind that problem. We have listed some of the most common issues below.

  • Try using the remote control by moving closer to the garage door. This is true because modern day garage remote controls have small antennas that operate at various ranges. Therefore, you might be out of range.
  • If moving closer does not work, then check if the antenna on the motor unit is not damaged, and it is hanging down.
  • If the door is opening through the wall switch, but not through the door, it means that the battery on the keypad or the door opener needs replacement.
  • If all else fails, you might need to get the remote control or the keypad reprogrammed. This is a tricky thing to do, and you will need to hire professionals to get that done. Speaking of professionals, I would suggest Tip Top Garage Doors – Charlotte NC.

 

Garage Door is Not Closing All The Way

 

This is an issue that I faced a few times; there are times when the garage door opens fine, but it does not close all the way.

This problem has various reasons, therefore for your convenience; I am listing them down below.

  • Modern day garage doors come equipped with limit switches that tell the motors when to stop; this works when the door is opening, as well as when the door is closing. If the limit on the close switch is not set properly, you will run into an issue of the door not closing all the way. Different garage doors have different methods of adjusting this limit switch. Most commonly, it is a screw found on a motor unit that is used to determine just how far the door closes.
  • If the aforementioned method does not work, you might need to check whether the safety sensors are aligned properly or not. These sensors can stop working if they are being obstructed by something, or they are out of place.
  • Last but not the least; the rarest issue could be rollers being the victim of rust or malfunction. However, I would advise you to take this with a grain of salt, as this issue is often rarer than you might think. If it is rust, then I would suggest using silicone lubricant, but if it is another malfunction, then you might want to go for professional help.

There is a Minor Retraction Before Closing Completely

 

There are some complaints that the garage doors retract a bit before they full close. It is actually a common issue that can easily be fixed.

Below are two common reasons regarding why this happens.

  • The adjustment screws on the garage door openers control how the door is closed properly. If the garage door is showing retraction before closing completely, you might need to make adjustment to those screws.
  • If the screws are properly adjusted, and the issue still persists, then it is probably because the rollers are either damaged or rusted. You can lubricate the rollers to see if that works, but if that does not solve your issue, you will need to get that replaced.

 

Garage Door Retract as Soon as It Hits The Floor

 

If you are facing an issue in which the garage door retracts as soon as it hits the floor, then the issue is related to the close-limit switch.

You will need to adjust the close-limit screw that can be found in the door opener motor. Adjust it in small increments, and keep going until the door does not retract.

 

Garage Doors Not Opening Entirely

 

Another common issue with garaged doors can be experienced with the doors not opening entirely. They do open perfectly, but stop in the middle, or close to the end.

There could be two common problems behind that issue.

  • The up-limit switch might need to be adjusted. Normally, this switch can be found in the form of a touch lever, and is located at the end of the track, close to the motor unit. If it is on the farther side, the motor will stop before the door fully opens.
  • Another reason why you might be facing the said issue is because of damaged rollers. Again, a very common issue that a lot of people face.

 

Garage Door Does Not Open in Winters

 

There are times in winters when garage doors that lower fine, do not open properly. If you are facing this issue, simply look for a screw on the motor, and adjust the sensitivity of opener. This is very common in winters because the rollers become stiff because of the cold.

Alternatively, you can even try lubricating the rollers to see if it helps. As far as locating the sensitivity screw is concerned, you might have to look for the reference on the manual.

 

Garage Door Opens Fine But The Motor Keeps Running

 

The last issue that is also common is that the garage door does open but the motor keeps running. This problem, albeit unusual, occurs musty cause the up-limit switch is too close to the motor unit.

The problem itself never really occurs out of nowhere. In most cases, it happens when the door is being installed.