One of the worst things to happen to you when you are late for work or arriving late at night tired is your garage door all of a sudden not operating correctly. Nine out of ten times the cause is pretty simple and the solution is also pretty straightforward. Here are some of the most common garage door repairs issues and how to fix them.
Garage Door Repairs Problem #1 Wall and Remote Control Fails to Open the Door
If your garage door is not functioning when both the remote and the wall switch are pressed, the most likely cause is the power source that may have been disrupted. As with many such issues, the most common issue is that the motor unit may have been unplugged. All you need to do is to check the outlet where the door opening is plugged in and ensure that the cord is correctly plugged all the way. Another issue is that the circuit breaker, fuse or GFCI operating the door opener could have tripped and possibly burnt out, Look for other lights and electrical circuits in the garage that are also not working, if there are this is the most likely cause. You will then have to reset the breaker or have the burned-out fuse replaced. If you discover that the breaker is always tripping then this is a sure sign that there is a short circuit somewhere else in the system even likely the garage door opener itself. It is also possible that the garage door motor may have given out which is the reason why it fails to operate. If this is the case, a Garage Doors Plus of Blaine technician may be the one to replace it.
Garage Door Opener Won’t Close All the Way
If you notice the garage door opening correctly but stops to close completely the cause may be one of these three:
Close Limit Switch Requires Adjusting
The garage door has a set-limit switches that tells the motor when to stop running both when it is opening and when it is closing. If the close-limit switch is set to wrong, it could prevent the door from closing. It also can cause the opener to reverse or pull back up when you try and close it.
The close limit switch features a safety measure that keeps people from being hit should they be underneath the door. This is a required device for all models of garage door openers. By adjusting the limit switch, it will prevent your garage door from operating erratically. Keep in mind that different garage doors have different means of adjusting the set-limit switches. However, it is usually a screw feature on the motor unit that is manipulated to adjust how far the door goes down.
Garage Door Repairs – Safety Sensors Require Realignment
Located near the base of the door track on both sides are electronic eyes that need a clear line of sight between them. If there is nothing hindering the sight-lines then the door will close smoothly all the way to the floor. However, there are instances where there is something blocking the sightline, or when the brackets keeping the electronic eyes in place become misaligned, the door will not close all the way down.
Check to see that there is nothing blocking the line of sight between the sensors. It is always possible that the sight path can have debris that can block the sensors. If you notice this phenomenon happening more often, it is possible that vibrations from the door in the tracks have loosened the brackets keeping the sensors in their place.
Rusted or Damaged Rollers
Sometimes the garage door repairs problem causing all of those are just rusted or damaged rollers causing the door to stop in its tracks. Solution is to replace the damaged rollers or lubricate them using silicone lubricant.
Garage Door Repairs Problem #2 Garage Door Reverses Immediately After Touching the Floor
If the garage door immediately leaps upward after touching the floor then it is likely that the close-limit switch may be the issue. The solution is to adjust the close-limit adjustment screw on the door opener motor in small increments until you see the door stops upon reaching the floor.
Garage Door Repairs Problem #3 Garage Door Does Not Open in Winter
There are times that the garage door opens ok but stops to operate during winter. If this is the case, check for a screw located on the motor unit to adjust the opener sensitivity. During the cold season the rollers can get stiff resulting in a door that will not open. Usually just lubricating them can help solve the issue. Ways to adjust the sensitivity do vary so check with the manual first.