Troubleshooting A Garage Door That Won't Open
Posted on: 21 June 2018
Your garage door acts as both an insulative barrier to protect your belongings from theft and weather exposure, and also as a major part of your home's exterior design. However, all of that becomes secondary when your garage door fails to operate properly and no longer opens. This is a fairly common problem that can have a few different causes: understanding what some of these reasons are as to why your garage door is not working properly can help you identify and solve the problem as quickly as possible to get your garage back to normal again.
Blockage
One of the most common reasons why your garage door is no longer working properly is not because of any underlying mechanical issue. Instead, something inside may have simply fallen over and blocked the infrared beam that is used as a fail-safe safety feature next to the door. Getting inside your garage and physically clearing the path between the two sensors located on either side of the door is usually enough to get things working again, but if not, be sure to wipe down each sensor to remove dust, dirt, cobwebs, or a whole host of other things which may be blocking the beam.
Opener Issues
Make sure that the garage door opener has the door on the track: sometimes, simply pulling the lever can detach the door and render the opener inoperable. You can manually attach it back into place usually by reengaging the lever, though this depends on the model of door opener. Make sure that the opener is also plugged in, and that there has not been a power surge or blackout that has damaged the wiring within the opener – if the door is on the track, the opener is plugged in, and there are no signs of electrical damage, you may need to get in touch with a professional to inspect your unit.
Broken Springs
Finally, the last and most serious reason why your garage door may be completely immobile is because the springs that provide the tension necessary to lift the weight of the door have snapped. This can happen because of age, wear, rust, and other forms of degradation. Inspect the springs located on either side of the garage door, but do not touch them – they are under extremely high tension and can seriously hurt you if they suddenly give way. Any signs of damage or lost tension (i.e. the springs are in multiple pieces or appear to be loose) means that they will need to be replaced. Contact a garage door professional, who will have access to the tools to safely do so.
Visit a garage door company's website to read more.
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