in Garage Maintenance by elkgrovegaragedoorco
Garage Door Not Opening? Try This!
Is your garage door not opening? There are alternatives to sleeping in your car. Sometimes, the fix is easy enough you can do-it-yourself. Some of the most common garage door problems are easy to spot and even easier to solve!
Easy Fixes if Your Garage Door Won’t Open
- Dead remote batteries, the remote is too far away, or the power’s off.
- The door is in “manual open mode”
- That handle hanging from the chain in the middle of the garage has a purpose! If you pull it, you can open the door manually. But if you don’t reset it, the opener won’t work.
- Something’s blocking the photo cell.
- Modern garage doors have photo cells at the base to stop the door from crashing down when you least expect it. Make sure there’s nothing blocking the two photo cells from looking eye-to-eye with each other.
- Photo cells are misaligned.
- Photo cells are easy to bump and sometimes just come loose with vibration. Make sure they are aligned and tighten the screws.
Fixes with a Little More Elbow Grease
These fixes take a little more work. If you’re not comfortable making these repairs yourself, please don’t hesitate to call a professional.
- Disconnected wires
- There are wires connecting the photo cells and wires on the unit on the ceiling. Reattaching them is not difficult, but you’ll need a ladder, a screwdriver, and basic knowledge of electrical wiring.
- Not enough tension
- If your motor runs, but the door still won’t open, check the tension knobs on the back of most units. Try increasing the setting gradually until it works.
“Time to Call a Pro” Fixes
- Tension spring or cable is broken
- Mounted above the door on the wall is a large coiled spring. If it breaks when you’re close by, you’ll hear a loud bang. Run away and call a pro! It’s dangerous and you can do further damage.
- Misaligned Track
- You’ll hear it rubbing and it may stop the door from working. You can loosen the screws on the rail and pound them back in place, but we recommend calling the experts.