Garage door opener problems are very common. Depending on the issue, you may need an expert to diagnose and fix the problem. In many cases, however, common issues can be easily resolved with do-it-yourself fixes. Below you will find a troubleshooting guide for common garage door opener issues.
The Remote Keypad or Batteries
If you press the remote to open or close your garage door and nothing happens, the first thing you should check is your remote control device. If the keypad is well aligned and working properly, check the batteries. You may have fitted your remote with the wrong batteries or your batteries may have expired. Replacing the batteries could be a simple fix to the problem.
Power Break Switch
First check the garage door opener switch on the wall. You may have locked it without knowing. The remote control will only work if the garage door opener is on. If it is on and the remote is still not working, the problem could be the main switch. You may need to check the main power switch in your home and reset it.
Sensors
Sensors are safety mechanisms designed to prevent the garage door from closing on a person or object. If the sensors detect an obstruction in the doorway, the garage doors will not close.
These sensors are designed with photo eyes that must be properly aligned. In other words, these sensors need to be able to see each other for the garage door to close. If these sensors are misaligned or obstructed, the doors will open instead of closing all the way to prevent injury.
If your garage door is not closing, check to see if your sensors are properly aligned. If they are not, use your hands to adjust them until they are properly aligned. While doing this, be sure to check that there is nothing obstructing the sensors’ LED light. You can clean the sensors using a clean piece of cloth or a cotton swab.
If your garage door is still not closing properly after cleaning and realigning your sensors, check to make sure that your wires are not disrupted or broken. If the problem still persists, perform one last test on your sensors.
Block the sensors and hold or push down the control button on the wall. The doors should close as pressing down the control button usually overrides the sensors. If the garage door still doesn’t close, then something is definitely wrong with the sensors.
Radio Frequency Interference (RIF)
Some LED bulbs have radio frequencies that clash or interfere with garage door frequencies. To determine whether or not this is the problem, simply switch off your LED bulbs. If the garage door opener works when the LED bulbs are off and refuse to work when they are switched on, your only solution is to stop using the LED lights.
Dead Circuit Board
If the solutions above fail to resolve your issue, you may want to check the circuit board to ensure that it is not dead. Circuit boards can be damaged by lightning strikes. If your circuit board is damaged, you will need to replace it.
Damaged Capacitor
Capacitor failures in electronics are very common. Like batteries, capacitors can go bad after a certain period of time. Check the capacitor to ensure that there are no signs of bulging or leaks. Sometimes, however, a damaged capacitor may give no signs at all. Your only solution in this instance would be to replace it.
Worn Out Gears
If you notice ground up bits of metal and similar debris on or around your garage door, your gears may be worn out. Check that your garage door chains are not too tight as they could break and cause serious injury.
Still having trouble figuring out what’s wrong with your garage door opener? Acrosstown Door Service is happy to help! Give us a call, and we’d be happy to help assess and repair your garage door opener.