Garage doors go through a lot of wear and tear. What do you do when your garage door is stuck? Other than your front door, they are the most used entrance and exit in the family home, and with that comes a lot of upkeep! Your garage doors are bound to need maintenance now and then, particularly in harsh winters, power outages, or storms. So, we’ve gone through and found the five most common reasons why your garage door won’t open or close and what to do when this happens.
There is No Power Connection to the Motor
The power’s out. What happens now? When there is no power connection to the motor on your garage door, it simply will not open or close. You could solve this issue quickly. For example, it may be an unplugged power cord. However, it could also be because of a blown fuse or circuit breaker – which is a more serious issue that will need a professional to come to fix.
The Sensor isn’t Working Correctly
The photo-eye is a necessary and important safety feature to your garage door. In short, it is a safety feature to ensure your garage door doesn’t close on objects, pets, or people. When your garage door doesn’t close all the way, it could be because your sensor is blocked, dirty, or misaligned. If your photo-eye is simply dirty, wipe it with a soft cloth and keep an eye on it. If there is a misalignment, you might need to hire a professional to come and take a look.
The Transmitter Batteries Have Expired
Your garage door relies on more than one form of power to make it function normally. If your garage door isn’t opening with remote activation, it could be that your remote has dead batteries. This is a simple fix, as most remotes require batteries to function, which is easy enough for anyone to do.
The Door Track is Misaligned
The tracks that guide the garage door must be straight, even, and aligned on both sides for the door to be able to function correctly. If either track loosens slightly, the movement of the garage door can slow, which will get much worse over time. This can result in small things ranging from squeaky sounds, to the door not being able to open correctly. This type of fix requires a specialist.
The Garage Door is Locked
This is likely due to human error. If nothing seems to be wrong with the motor, the opener, or the door itself, yet it still won’t open or close – you might have locked it manually. This probably was by accident and is easily fixed! Some garage doors come with manual locks that look like horizontal bars. To open, simply turn the handle until you hear a snapping sound. That sound will mean that you have disengaged the horizontal bar and can now open the door.
Your Garage Door is Stuck Still
Garage doors should open and close with ease, but sometimes this isn’t the case! We hope that this blog helps you understand five of the main reasons why your garage won’t open and close. And remember, if it is a technical issue that needs fixing – it is always best to hire a professional when possible. The team at Door Tech is always here to lend a hand when needed!