Posted on: March 25, 2020
Like with any mechanic object, sometimes the garage door doesn’t work the way it should. However, unlike other things, your garage door malfunctioning can be a security issue, and it could also keep you from entering your home.
If you find that your garage door isn’t opening, the reason could range from something that’s easily fixable to a task that requires professional maintenance. Here are five possible explanations for why your garage door won’t open.
Why Won’t My Garage Door Open
1. THE PHOTO EYE IS BLOCKED
The photo eye is the small, round sensor on the piece of the garage door near the ground. It shoots a laser across the bottom of the door’s path to see if anything is blocking it. If the laser is blocked, the door won’t shut the whole way. The photo eye tells the garage door when it’s okay to open or close.
If the signal from the photo-eye to the rest of the garage door is interrupted, that may be why the door isn’t opening. Cleaning the sensor or realigning it could help get it back in working order.
2. THE TORSION SPRINGS ARE BROKEN
If the torsion springs are broken, you’ll know. This part of the door makes a very loud noise — similar to a firecracker or gunshot — when it breaks. If the spring breaks, it’s imperative that you do not try opening the garage door. Attempting to open it could cause more damage to the garage door or hurt people around it.
Unlike some of these other possible culprits for your garage door not opening, you shouldn’t try to fix the torsion spring on your own. This issue is best left to a professional.
3. YOUR REMOTE OPENER
If you’re mainly using a remote opener to open the garage, it may not be the garage itself that’s broken.
If you’re using the remote from your car, make sure you’re close enough. The range between the remote and the door’s mechanisms may not be as far as you think. If the door doesn’t open right away, try getting closer. If the door still doesn’t open from the remote, see if anything is blocking the signal. If the signal between the remote and door isn’t connected, the remote can’t send the message to the door to open. If that still doesn’t fix the issue, try changing the batteries.
One last thing to try with the remote is to reprogram it. If it got wet or damaged, reprogramming it might solve the problem.
4. THE DOOR IS OFF THE TRACK
If you try opening the door and it makes sounds like it’s trying to open but isn’t actually opening, the door might be off its tracks. Check out the tracks to see if anything is blocking the mechanisms from sliding smoothly back and forth. You can loosen the screws on the tracks a little bit, wiggle it around gently to get it back into place, then retighten the screws.
5. THE SENSITIVITY
If the garage door’s sensitivity isn’t right, it may cause the door not to open when you want it to. If the sensitivity is too high or too low, it may keep the door from opening or closing. Find your manufacturer’s manual to see how to reset the sensitivity setting for your garage door. You can adjust a few settings related to the door’s sensitivity that could get it working again.
Contact Broten for All Your Garage Door Fixes
If your garage still doesn’t work for you after going through all these possible causes, you may need to get professional help. If you live in South Florida, contact us at Broten. We’ll find the cause of your problem and fix it for you right away.
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