When troubleshooting your garage door, it’s easy to get frustrated. But, most problems can be resolved relatively quickly and easily.
Garage doors open and close more than 1500 times a year, so they are likely to break down occasionally.
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Broken Spring
If your garage door is making a strange noise or doesn’t open, it may be a sign that one of the springs is broken. You should immediately call a professional for help when this happens because a broken spring can be dangerous.
Fortunately, a broken garage door spring is relatively easy to troubleshoot if you know what to look for. The first thing to check is to ensure the spring is not split in half or otherwise damaged.
The second thing to look for is to see if the spring has rust. Rust can be a sign that the steel has weakened.
Another common sign that a spring is broken is that the garage door doesn’t go down quickly when you close it. The opener no longer counterbalances gravity’s pull on the panels.
Damaged Photo-Eye
One of the crucial components of your garage door system is the photo eye. Six inches above the ground, these sensors are located on either side of the garage and emit an invisible beam.
The sensor alerts the system to break the circuit and close the door when something blocks that beam. This prevents dents and scrapes for you, your family, and your automobile.
These sensors occasionally need to be changed because they are damaged. Nonetheless, most issues are simple to resolve.
First, ensure that nothing obstructs the beam of light between your photo eye sensors. This can be anything from a leaf to a scrap of paper.
Also, check that the LED lights on each sensor are working correctly. If one is flickering or not lighting up, that could be a sign that the sensor is out of alignment and needs to be moved.
Malfunctioning Opener
A garage door opener that suddenly stops working can be challenging to diagnose. It may be a sign that a component is broken or the wiring is faulty, which is a good reason for replacing the unit.
A malfunctioning opener can also result from a power surge or a malfunction in the circuit board. Often, a professional inspects and resets the circuit board to ensure a reliable opener.
You can troubleshoot this problem by repeatedly opening and closing the garage door using the remote or wall control panel. Check the button to see if it sticks after each operation.
A misaligned sensor, dirt, debris, or faulty wires can cause this. Make sure the sensors are in the correct position and free of dirt. If the buttons still stick after repeated attempts, replace the switch.
Unbalanced Door
Your garage door is a complex system that contains several moving parts. If one is out of balance, it can cause severe problems with your garage door opener and the entire door.
To test if your garage door is balanced, manually raise it 36 inches off the ground and let it open without an opener. It should easily open with one hand and close smoothly.
An unbalanced door can sag or close unevenly. This problem is familiar to a heavy garage door and should be addressed immediately.
An imbalanced door is also prone to loud sounds as it opens or closes. If the noise is extreme, it might imply that something is wrong with the opening or shutting procedure that would require an expert in garage door repair.
