Are you having trouble with your garage door opener not working? There are a couple reasons why it might not be working, some you can fix yourself quite easily, while others you will need to call a professional to service the problem. Following are some of the common causes of garage door problems and some tips to correct the issue.
Garage Door Opener Not Working: When you push the button on the remote nothing happens. No lights flickering, no door opening slightly, nothing. First, check to make sure that the actual opener in your garage is plugged in. Just look for the electrical outlet near the garage door opener and see if the cord is plugged in. If it is, unplug it and plug it back in. Try the remote again. If there is still nothing, and you're sure that the power is on in your house, continue reading.
Dead Battery: Your garage opener remote control runs off of a small battery. Occasionally the battery will go bad or die. This is actually one of the most common reasons why people have problems with their openers. Try replacing the battery with a new one.
Locked: It sounds silly, but sometimes the garage door may simply be locked.
Garage Door Works But Then Stops: If your remote works but the garage door is acting erratically, i.e. opening moving a few feet and stopping, you may have one of these problems:
Safety Eyes: These are the two little sensors at the bottom of your door, on either side of the frame. These are there as a safety precaution, meant to detect any objects underneath the door in danger of being crushed. They are meant to prevent injuries, but they can be overly sensitive and will cause your door to not function even if nothing is in the way. First, check to make sure that the sensors are plugged in and no wiring is lose. Second, make sure that the eyes are aligned. Sometimes because of their position they get bumped into. A simple readjustment will get your door working again.
Broken Spring or Rollers: Springs are what support the weight of the door and allow it to lift with minimal effort. If they snap or break, your door opener will be unable to lift the 300+ pounds of weight of the door. Likewise, rollers allow for the door to easily slide in their tracks. If a roller breaks or is stuck, there is no way your door is going to be able to move. These types of problems you are going to need a professional to repair.
If you checked for these problems and still haven't found a solution, you'll need to call a garage door repair company to inspect and identify the problem. Some offer free inspection and quotation, so you can figure out how much it is going to cost you before having to open your wallet.
