Your garage is one of the busiest and most important facilities within your home. Your home garage is the place where you keep and protect one of the best investments you can make – your car. It is also the best place in your home where you can store devices and outdoor tools that can range from lawn mowers, rakes, or anything that is greasy or muddy.
You should thus protect and enhance the condition of your garage always. Unfortunately, there are a number of problems that your garage can experience. A garage door won’t close or work is one of the common problems experienced by many homeowners. You should not just assume this as a normal issue, and keep using your garage while it is not working properly.
Many first-time homeowners think that garages are not vulnerable to problems. Your garage may seem durable and effective to use for many years. But, certain issues or breakdowns arise and one is a garage opener not working. Here are the top 12 frequent reasons why your garage door won’t work or close properly. Take a look;
1.The Photo Eye is Blocked or Misaligned
The photo eye is one of the important safety features of a garage door. Your garage door won’t close all the way if the photo eye is blocked or misaligned. It is a great feature that works effectively in a way that it stops the door from closing, when it senses an obstruction. It also helps prevent damage to a vehicle, injury to a person or a pet in the doorway.
The photo eyes sensors of your garage may not be working, and this will affect the normal closing of your garage door. Signs that your sensors are not working and garage door won’t shut include;
- The garage door is able to go up but cannot come back down when compelled.
- Lights on one of the sensors start flashing unexpectedly.
- The door starts to come down and then goes back up abnormally.
For safety reasons, when you realize your photo eyes are not working properly, you should work on this problem immediately and troubleshoot garage doors.
2.Disrupted Power Source
Your garage door won’t close or work properly because the power source has been disrupted. Homeowners sometimes mess up their garage power source without knowing. To shun the problem of a garage door that is not closing, make sure the garage door opener is plugged into a working power outlet.
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Make sure you counter-check the circuit breaker or the fuse, and ensure they are all working as required. Make sure the transmitter batteries are also fully charged and working as expected.
3.The Garage Torsion Springs have Broken
Torsion springs have gained popularity of the years, and many garages are built with these springs. These are the types of garage springs that work under the mechanism of torsion, and the energy is stored depending on the number of twists of the coils of the spring.
If these springs break, you might find it hard to close or open your garage door. If you suspect this is the problem, don’t try garage door troubleshooting on your own. This task should only be left to professionals.
4.The Garage Door Cables have Broken or Popped Off
Garage door cables in many occasions become disengaged and even get broken leading to garage door closing and opening problems. This cable problem is common if the torsion spring breaks and the cables will snap as a result.
Cable damage can be hazardous as it might damage your car or even harm any person inside the garage at the time. If you experience this garage door malfunction, you should not hesitate to call a professional.
5.The Sensitivity of your Garage is Out of Adjustment
The sensitivity of your garage can also be another reason why won’t my garage door close or open, especially if it is fixed too low or high. There are several ways you can adjust the sensitivity of your garage door.
This is a feature in your garage that helps adjust the strength the garage system uses to open or close door. It’s advisable to adjust the closing and opening force to the right levels, and if you find it challenging, it is wise to seek immediate help.
6.Garage Remote Control is Not Working Properly
Garage remote control makes it easy to open and close your garage door. However, it comes a time when your garage remote does not work as expected. If you are experiencing garage door issues that are related to your failing remote control, the problem may be that;
- You are out of range and the remote cannot sense the garage door system.
- The antenna on the motor may be damaged or cannot access any signal.
- If the garage door opens with the wall switch, this issue can be solved by changing the batteries.
- Try and reprogram the remote control.
7.An Obstacle Preventing Proper Function of the Garage Door
The modern garage doors are designed in a way that in order to prevent injuries, the door can automatically reverse itself, if it comes into contact with an obstacle. If the door closes halfway but it reverses instantly without no apparent reason, then there is an unseen hitch that has made the garage door stopped working.
You have to check the garage door tracks for things like debris, dirt or rocks that may be preventing the door from working as required. Dislodge anything that might be getting in the way of the garage door and causing these issues.
8.Disconnect Switch was Switched On
Garage doors come with a disconnect switch that plays great roles in case of a power surge. This switch will make it easy to open or close the garage door manually, and you will not be stuck in the garage facility until the power comes back.
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As you try garage door opener troubleshooting, keep in mind that the switch is usually attached to a knob that you can pull and disconnect the garage from power. To solve this issue, you need to check and make sure you have not disconnected the motor.
9.The Garage Door is Off its Track
At all times, the garage door should be properly fitted, so that it can easily slide when opening or closing. If the door is off track, you should;
- Ensure it is rolling smoothly along its metal track.
- Ensure there are no gaps, obstacles or bends on the garage door track.
- If you hear any screeches or there is friction on the track, keep in mind that the garage door won’t go up, and you need to make sure the door track is properly aligned.
10.The Garage Door is Locked
This may be a garage user’s fault as the door might be functioning properly but it is locked. You can troubleshoot garage door by simply checking if there are any metal parts that are making it hard to open or close the garage. Use the knob to disengage the lock, and open or close your garage door at ease.
11.Poorly Adjusted Limit Levels
You may try to close the garage door, but it immediately opens up again, don’t fret. If the automatic garage door won’t close, simply check the limit settings, and adjust them to the correct levels. The limit levels help to figure out how far to move the door, so as to close it properly.
If the garage door limit settings are off, just figure out how to fix a garage door that won’t close. It is easy if you have the expertise, and you can also use the owner’s manual to adjust the limit settings. The buttons on the motor can also help troubleshoot this problem.
If the garage door won’t shut all the way, you can use a trial and error method whereby you will;
- Get a ladder and try to adjust the limit switch. The garage door also comes with “up” and “down” sticky labels that you can use to adjust the limit levels manually.
- If the garage door not opening or closing you can do it manually. If it’s not closing, adjust it down and if it won’t go up, adjust it up. However, make sure you are using the right tools for the job.
12.The Garage Door Mechanism is not Lubricated
Most garage doors have tracks that should be in the best condition all the time, so that the garage does not bend while being used. You should not have any problem trouble shooting garage doors. Find the best lubricants in the market and keep the garage door in top-notch condition.
Time to Replace Garage Door? What to Know
If you are still worried and wondering, why won’t my garage door close, it is time to replace the garage door. It may be a costly undertaking, but your garage is an important facility and you have to make sure it is working properly.
There are notable reasons as to why you should replace or repair a garage door opener doesn’t close. For instance;
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You will be Able to Add Value to Your Home.
Your garage is an essential facility in your home, and you have to keep it in the best condition. The garage door is the first thing people will look at when they walk to your home. Thus, troubleshooting garage door openers will present you with an opportunity to improve the look of your garage door and attract onlookers.
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Lower Utility Bills
If you have an old garage, it is properly in a bad shape and poorly insulated. This means that you will spend more money on heating and cooling, especially if your living rooms are above the garage. With a new garage, you will cut down these energy bills and solve many garage door malfunctions.
To Sum Up
With the right information on why the garage door won’t close, you will be able to troubleshoot this problem and use your garage for many years. It is important to run the troubleshooting test to ascertain why does my garage door not close? However, some conditions will require professional assistance like Rollaway Garage Doors. They have a team of professionals who will offer you budget-friendly garage door help and guidance. They handle everything from automatic garage door repair to replacement. You can call today, and learn why garage door won’t close and the best solutions.
