#1. My garage door sometimes opens part way and then closes. How can I fix it?
The problem with a garage door opening only part way and then closing is difficult mainly because there are several reasons this can happen. The first, though it may seem obvious is to check if anything is in the way of the door. All newer garage doors have been designed to have a reversing mechanism that will prevent the garage door from being able to crush anything that may be in its way. It can be something as simple as a child’s toy, or maybe your garbage can is causing this mechanism to be triggered.
If there is nothing in the way of the garage door, then the next possibility is that there may be a build up of random debris on the tracks or in the rollers that stop them from being able to move entirely forward. This could be anything from small rocks, mud builds up, or even gum. No matter how little the object may seem to you, the door will go back up to avoid crushing whatever is blocking its path. You will also want to look inside the tracks to ensure there is no build up, and this may require a ladder for safety. It is never a bad idea to wipe down your garage door tracks every once and awhile to prevent any build up from happening in the first place. You can just take a damp rag and run it over the tracks periodically.
The next thing to look at is your garage door’s photo eye sensors. The sensors are on each side of the garage door and form an invisible line between the two to send signals to the garage door to stop if something is in the way. These can get dirty or misaligned which will ultimately cause your garage door not to work correctly. Taking a soft rag and some cleaning solution to each sensor, while being careful not to scratch the glass lens is a great way to clean the sensors. If you try all of these options and nothing works, you may want to contact a professional garage door repair company to come out and check your garage door. They often provide a free consultation, and this is a great way to determine if you need their help to solve the problem.
#2. What is the best way to fix a garage door that won’t close?
Well, here’s the thing. There is not necessarily a “best way” to fix a garage door that will not close as there are a lot of reasons as to why that may happen. This is why more often than not it is easier to call a professional garage door repair company. While it may be “best” to call a professional as they will know what the problem is and can fix it, here are just a few of the most common issues and solutions to a garage door that will not close.
The first thing to look at may seem obvious, but it may be that your garage door transmitter’s batteries died. Without batteries, the transmitter cannot send a signal to open your garage door. To see if this is the case, try pressing the transmitter on your garage wall to see if it opens the garage, if it does, then your car transmitter is in need of batteries, but if not, they both may need to have the batteries replaced. This is a problem you can solve on your own.
Another simple and often obvious problem is that something may be blocking the invisible beam that tells your garage door if something is in the way of it closing. This can be something that is as large as your garbage can, as small as some dirt specs on the lens of the transmitters, or something in the track. This will also happen if the transmitters become misaligned. The simple fix for these is just removing the object/s that are blocking your transmitter, cleaning the lens, and wiping down the track to check for anything blocking the door. Checking the alignment is an easy enough task if you have a laser level or just following the lens.
A garage door track that is out of alignment can also cause your garage door to malfunction. However, this is a more complicated issue you may want assistance with. To realign, you will need to loosen the screws to the frame of the track, then gently tap the track with a rubber mallet until it is in the proper position. Use a level to ensure your track is perfectly straight. You can tell if the track is misaligned by a rubbing noise that will be heard at a certain point and the door may slow down. Then tighten the screws back, and you are good to go! When the door doesn’t move at all due to alignment, then you may want a professional garage door repair company to help.
Signal issues are another common problem with garage doors. Ensure that nothing is stuck under the transmitter that is pushing the button and be sure that you are within range of the transmitter. Also, check the frequency of the transmitter as someone around may have the same frequency in their garage door that may create issues. Every model has different steps on changing the frequency, so check your owner’s manual, or call a garage door professional to help you.
A more severe problem that can occur if transmitters are working and power is okay would be broken torsion springs. You may have heard a loud bang in the garage if this is the case. This is not something you can fix on your safety and should be left to the professionals as it is hazardous. Tension springs are also a typical break and are very similar to torsion springs.
A few other issues might be the limit range, an enabled disconnect switch, or your garage door is manually locked. All of these are simple fixes and can be done by consulting your user manual or consulting a professional garage door repair company.
