Your garage door opener stopped operating as it should ?
Don't panic!
It can be quite easy to find the solutions needed to repair your garage opener.
In my article about garage door opener troubleshooting, I help you to correct the most common problems without having to consult either your owner's manual or an expensive professional.
Let's get started!
01 of 09
Contents
- Your garage door isn't closing all the way
- Your garage door doesn't open all the way
- The remote isn't working
- The door reverses before or after hitting the floor
- The motor continues to run after the garage door is closed
- The door sticks while closing or opening
- The keypad doesn't work
- The wall switch doesn't work
- The door refuses to open in winter
Your garage door isn't closing all the way
The Issue
In this situation, you may have no problem with opening the garage door. The problem starts when you hit the button to close it and the door starts to close.... but seems to be unable to close all the way.
The Solutions
- First, you should check the safety sensors. Verify if there isn't a block between them. Safety sensors are the electronic eyes near the base of the door track on both sides. They need to have a clear line-of-sight between them in order for the door to work properly.
- Then, look to see if the rollers are in working order. Replace them if they are too rusty or have damage beyond repair. If they are just then use some silicone lubricant to ease their motion.
- Lastly, take a look at your close limit switch. This tells the door when to stop moving, for safety purposes. The door can stop too soon if the setting is incorrect. If you notice a problem, make sure to set it correctly.
02 of 09
Your garage door doesn't open all the way
The Issue
In an opposite situation, you may find that your garage door isn't opening all the way when you push the button on the opener so that you can drive in.
The Solutions
The solutions for this problem can be similar to those that help when the door isn't closing properly.
- For example, damaged and rusted rollers can effect this as well. Rollers that have rust or damage have trouble rolling well. Check them to verify if they are working properly, and replace or lubricate them if needed.
- Just like there is a limit switch for closing the door, there is also one for opening the door. The switch may be too far from the motor unit. This can disrupt the connection between them, leaving the door unable to respond fully to your signal for it to open. If the switch itself is broken, make sure to fix or replace it.
Recommended read: Garage Door Not Opening?11 Troubleshooting Tips to Try
03 of 09
The remote isn't working
The Issue
You hit the button on the remote and the garage door doesn't make the slightest attempt at moving.
The Solutions
- To begin with, verify you aren't hitting the button while you're out of range. When you're too far away, then the door may not respond.
- If that isn't the problem then try opening and closing the door with the wall switch.
- In the case that the door responds to the switch, then there's a good chance it's the remote that has an issue. Try replacing the batteries in the remote and trying again. Most likely, this will resolve the situation.
- However, if it doesn't then you may need to replace the remote altogether.
- Also, remember to check the antenna on the motor unit. It should be hanging down to allow the signal to reach it well.
04 of 09
The door reverses before or after hitting the floor
The Issue
The door reverses before or after hitting the floor.
The Solutions
- If you find that your garage door is reversing before even hitting the floor then it could be possible that there is a problem with the close-force setting.
This setting basically controls how much force is allowed when closing the garage door. As the setting changes, the amount of friction that the door needs to feel before shutting off the motor changes as well.
What this means is if the setting is off, it can take just a little bit of friction from the tracks to make the motor think it has reached the floor and stop. Things like rusty or damaged rollers can also create more friction, causing the same problem. So check your rollers and the settings to ensure everything is set correctly. - If your garage door is closing fully and then reversing to open again, then it may be due to a problem with the close-limit switch. In order to fix this, you'll want to make small changes to the close-limit setting until the door opener knows to stop once the door has reached the floor.
05 of 09
The motor continues to run after the garage door is closed
The Issue
In a typical situation, the motor for your garage door opener should stop running once the door has closed. If you find that it keeps running, this can present a problem in your system.
The Solution
This is a pretty uncommon problem, but one that can happen after you've first installed your garage door opener. This is related to the up-limit switch.
It's important to get this switch at just the right distance from the motor so that the door is able to close all the way, but the motor also knows to stop running.
Try making small adjustments.
Move the up-limit switch farther away little by little and check it well to see if the door closes and the motor stops running.
06 of 09
The door sticks while closing or opening
The Issue
Your garage door seems to get stuck while opening or closing. This can often be due to a problem with the tracks or rollers.
The Solutions
- Check the tracks to confirm they are clean and free of debris that can get in the way of the rollers and make them stop.
- If the track appears to be clean and well-aligned then the problem could be with broken or rusty rollers.
- Replace them if needed, or lubricate rusted rollers to allow them to move more freely.
- When everything is cleaned, fixed and aligned the problem should be solved.
07 of 09
The keypad doesn't work
The Issue
If your garage door opener uses a keypad and that keypad stops working then there are a few things you can do to get it functioning again.
The Solutions
- Firstly, check that you're using it within the range required for your opener. If you're too far away this can cause a problem with opening or closing the door.
- Also, verify the antenna on the motor unit is in the proper placement.
- You may also need to reprogram your keypad or replace the batteries in it.
- If the electronics in the keypad are off, reprogramming it can get it into working order again.
08 of 09
The wall switch doesn't work
The Issue
If you have a problem with your wall switch being unable to open or close the garage door, then it's often a problem somewhere in the power supply.
The Solutions
- First, check your fuses, GFCI or breaker to see if any of them have tripped, broken or burnt out.
- If this is the case then replace the fuse or reset the breaker or GFCI and try the wall switch again.
- If everything else is working well, then it could be that the power in the opener motor itself has burnt out, in which case you may need to send it in to be fixed or replace it
09 of 09
The door refuses to open in winter
The Issue
The cold of winter can sometimes result in your garage door closing but being unable to open well.
The Solutions
- The cold weather may be effecting your rollers, making them stiff and unable to work as well.
- Try lubricating them to see if that helps.
- If not, then take a look at your motor unit to find a screw that will adjust the opener sensitivity.
- Once you've located it, try making small adjustments to see if it helps you to get a better response to when you try opening the door.
Now it's your turn...
I hope you found this guide on the 9 common garage door opener problems helpful.
Now I’d like to hear what you have to say:
- Have you experienced one of these problems ?
- Have you applied one of my advice ?
Let me know by leaving a quick comment below right now.
