Keeping My Garage Doors Looking Great

4 Common Reasons A Garage Door Won't Open

Most homeowners don't pay too much attention to their home's garage door until there is a problem. When a garage door problem does occur, it can be very frustrating, especially if your garage door won't open. Luckily, most issues that cause a garage door not to open can be fixed, and you shouldn't have to replace your garage door or your garage door opener. Some common reasons a garage door won't open include:

Motion Sensor is Blocked

Most garage door openers manufactured in the last couple of decades include motion sensors that are attached to the garage door tracks several inches of the ground. If something is blocking the sensors, the garage door will not open or close. If your garage door won't open, take a look at the sensors and make sure that nothing is blocking them. Also look at the photo-eye of the sensor, as a build up of dirt and debris on the lens can cause the sensor to think there is something in the way.

Broken Springs

Garage doors have very strong springs that balance the door and allow it to open and close smoothly. These springs only last so many open/close cycles and then they will eventually wear out and snap. If you are home when your garage door springs snap, you will most likely hear an extremely loud noise that you may mistake for a firecracker or gunshot. 

Broken garage door springs are one of the most common garage door problems, and an experienced garage door technician can replace the springs. Replacing broken garage door springs is not a DIY project and it can be dangerous if you don't know what you are doing. Always hire a professional to make repairs when your garage door springs are broken.

Malfunctioning Garage Door Opener Remote

One of the easiest things you can do when your garage door won't open is try changing the batteries to see if that solves the problem. Another common problem is that the antenna connected to the garage door opener is blocked so it can't communicate with the remote-- inspect your opener and make sure that the antenna is hanging down   If that doesn't help, you may want to try reprogramming the remote.

Garage Door Opener Sensitivity Needs to be Adjusted

If your garage door opener has just been installed,or if it is very old, the sensitivity setting on the actual opener may need to be adjusted in order to open the garage door. This is something that you should be able to do yourself by adjusting the dials on the back of the opener to the manufacturer's recommended settings. 

For more information, visit sites like http://unifourdoorsystems.com.


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