DOES YOUR GARAGE DOOR HAVE A MIND OF ITS OWN? HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO!
Is your garage door opening and closing at random? There are several reasons this is happening:
1. Check the transmitter. It may be wedged under something that inadvertently depressed the remote control mechanism. In other words, some place, a button is stuck. The transmitter might be sitting under items you forgot in your vehicle, or underneath something else you left close by. If the LED light by the learn button is flashing continuously, then your garage door opener is receiving a steady signal from the remote control. (You’ll find the learn button above the antenna wire hanging from the motor head, or beneath the light cover. It’s either red, green, purple, yellow, or orange.) Take out the batteries in your remote, and if the light stops flashing, then a stuck button is the problem.
2. Test the transmitter frequency, because maybe your neighbor's remote has accidentally been programmed to the exact same frequency as yours. Erase the remote control from the memory of your garage door opener. Then, reprogram your remote controls and keyless entries.
3. If neither of these turns out to be the issue, you might have a short in the wall-mounted door control, which means that unwanted signals are being sent to the garage door opener or the logic board (circuit board).
- Does the garage door opener activate by itself while the wall-mounted door control panel wires are disconnected? You’ll probably have to replace the receiver logic board.
- If the opener does not activate by itself while the wall-mounted door control panel is disconnected, then in all likelihood, it’s time to replace the wires to your wall-mounted door control panel.
4. Besides a possible short in the logic board, there could be a short in the wall button, the wall button wiring, the wired keypad, the garage door opener remote, or any other electronic problems.
5. It’s possible that your remote is sending out signals at random. This is often a sign you have a defective remote is or that the batteries are nearly worn out.
6. Believe it or not, a local radio station, radio tower, CB radio, or police radio can all make a garage door open and shut by itself.
There are additional issues you can probably resolve yourself. When your garage door goes on the blink, there are many causes for the troubles you’re facing.
What if your garage door isn’t opening when you use the remote? There are several possibilities for this problem. 1. You might be out of range from the garage door. 2. Perhaps you have to charge or replace the batteries. 3. The garage door motor’s antenna is damaged, or it’s blocked from the signal. 4. Your remote needs to be reprogrammed.
Does the garage door opener run, yet the garage door still won’t budge? In case a power outage happens, your garage door opener has a disconnect switch, which means you can manually open or close your garage door. This switch is usually attached to a rope or a knob, which can come unhooked by mistake. Shut or open your garage door all the way, and then reattach the hook securely. Now the transmitter ought to be back to normal.
Does your garage door opener run for a few seconds, but then it turns off? This is something that can often occur if you have an older garage door. The garage door is shut, and the garage door motor tries to lift the door, yet it just won’t move. First off, look at the springs. If the springs aren’t broken, then you should inspect the track for any grime or small obstacles. If neither of these is the issue, see whether your garage door is the kind with a built-in lock that is engaging unintentionally.
More Complicated Issues Requiring Professional Attention
Does your garage door go part way down, but then open again? A garage door is designed with a reversing mechanism to stop it from smashing any object in its path. The reversing instruction is activated by any item that is blocking the path of the garage door ~ a trash can, a box, or a bicycle, for instance. Another possibility is that you have a buildup of debris on the tracks ~ grime or a tiny object ~ which stops the rollers from moving. Repair will call for the expertise of a garage door repair professional.
Did your garage door slam down fast with a loud bang? You probably have a broken spring, which now isn’t properly offsetting the weight of the garage door. Or, the cables are broken. In either case, this is a major problem, so consult with a professional garage door repair technician.
Your garage door track may be out of alignment. This scenario is also a serious problem. When the metal track isn’t aligned, the garage door won’t move one bit. Look for possible gaps between the rollers and the rail, and see if there are any bends in the rails. The considerable weight of the garage door will worsen all these issues eventually, so don’t procrastinate, because your garage door is bound to become more dangerous. It’s time to hire an expert.
It is definitely not a good idea to try adjusting the garage door yourself, unless you are an engineer! If you don’t have your garage door serviced properly, the garage door springs can actually go directly to a wall! Furthermore, there is the possibility of serious injury, and even death. The garage door bottom brackets, drums, and cables, likely also require adjusting. It’s not worth it to take any unnecessary risks. Unless you already know what you’re doing, then your best bet is to call a local garage door repair professional. If you live any place in Union City, Georgia, consider a reputable garage door technician you can count on, such as a mobile garage door repair specialist on staff at Garage Door Masters.