Garage Doors – 3 Most Frequently Asked Troubleshooting Questions

Homeowners have plenty of questions about their garage doors and openers but most involve one of the following three issues.

1. Why does it reverse or open back up instead of closing?
This is, most likely, the result of your safety eyes are out of alignment, or something may be blocking the path of the garage door. The safety sensors need a clear line of sight between each other in order for the opener to close completely. These small units are usually black, and attached at the base of the tracks on either side of your door opening. Each should have a small LED light that remains lit when both sensors are properly aligned. If bumped out of place, they can be adjusted by hand so that they are pointing at each other again. It’s also fairly common for the lenses on the safety eyes to become obscured by dirt or other debris, as well. Just make sure the "eyes" can see each other for smooth operations.

2. Why is my garage door so heavy?
Garage doors are usually the generally the largest moving piece of machinery in your home, with an average size of 8′ wide and 7′ high. Regardless of the type of material used, they will be heavy. That’s why there are springs and a counter balance system to take all that weight, and make it easy for you or your Garage Door Openers to handle easily. However, springs do break and/or relax over time, making the doors feel heavier. Stripped openers gears are often caused by this type of problem. It’s a good idea to have some maintenance done about once a year. Have a professional check for proper spring tension, and adjust them if needed.

3. Why won’t it go up? / Why is it stuck in the down position?
Take a look at the springs located on the wall above the garage door. There should be no break, or separation in the coils. Springs generally last for about 3-5 years, depending on the amount of daily usage. Again, these provide the force for balancing out all that weight. When one breaks, it can make things too heavy to lift, causing it to seem stuck in place. If one of yours is broken, you’ll need to call a professional as this is not a DIY project. If the springs don't appear to be broken, try pulling the emergency release. This will allow manual operation, without the motor. It may be that your springs have relaxed to the point that the opener can’t lift the weight anymore.

Hopefully, this answers some of your questions. If you still have issues that weren’t covered here, you may want to take a look at the FAQ section of our website. We also have links to a number of manufacturers and owner’s manuals.