Garage door opener is one of the best inventions that you need to be thankful for. The garage door opener will save you a lot of time just to open and close the garage door in the morning. Plus, you don’t need to get out of the car just to open the garage door after a long and tiring day at work. The problem is that it can be troublesome and it won’t work when you need it. Pressing the remote won’t make the garage door open or close and you don’t need to panic because it is perfectly normal. Here are the reasons why garage door opener not working and easy ways to fix it.
Read also: EASY STEPS AND TIPS HOW TO INSTALL A GARAGE DOOR OPENER
1. Garage Door Opener Not Working Because Dead Battery
If the garage door opener suddenly doesn’t work, one of the most common problems that you may face is the dead battery. You need to remember the last time you changed the battery and most of the remote battery will last around two years before it needs to be replaced. But before changing the battery, you need to make sure that the battery is the problem. To check it, you need to open the garage door using the wall-mounted control panel. If the door can open well, then the battery is the problem.
To change the battery, you just need to slide the cover of the back of the remote and change the battery into the new one. Some remote covers are secured with screws so you need to open them using screwdrivers. After you have changed the battery, you can test the remote to open or close the garage door.
2. The Signal is Not Strong Enough
You have changed the battery on the remote, but when you test it, the garage door still doesn’t work. The problem that you may have is disrupted signals that prevent the transmitter from sending the signal to the door. There are two common causes that might affect the signal: the range between the remote and the door, and a damaged receiving antenna.
To check which problem you have, you need to stand around 20 feet from the garage door and try to operate the remote. If the remote works, then you need to check the antenna and make sure that it doesn’t have any dirt buildup or is broken. If you suspect that the antenna is broken, you will need to call the professional to repair it.
3. Garage Door Track is Out of Alignment
One of the most serious issues that you can have is the garage door that is out of alignment. The door should move freely and to make sure, you need to see the mental track on your door. Make sure that you don’t see any gaps on the rollers and rails, and the rails aren’t bended. The weight of the door can cause the issue and make it worse, and it will be very dangerous to open the garage door.
To fix this issue, you will need to try to repair the track. All you need to do is to loosen the screws of the frame and place the tack back into its place. Make sure that it is perfectly aligned and tightens the screws. If the door doesn’t move at all, you will need to consider calling a professional. You are advised to do so because you cannot solve it by yourself and it can be very dangerous for you.
4. Garage Door is Blocked
Garage doors are designed well so that it won’t crush any object in their path. The garage door may close half way and open up again when it notices any object that will block its path. Not necessarily a big object, but a buildup of debris or other small objects can trigger it to happen to prevent the door from crushing it.
If you notice it happening at the garage door, you will need to inspect the surroundings. Make sure that nothing covers up the eye sensors and inspect any debris that may block the tracks. You will also need to inspect the top part of the garage thoroughly and it may be a little tricky to see. You can prevent it from happening again in the future by frequently wiping the door tracks to prevent any buildup debris.
5. Garage Door Opener Not Working Because Broken Torsion Spring
You may have a working remote, but suddenly the garage door won’t go up when you press the remote. One of the most common problems that you might have is broken torsion springs. The torsion springs here work to lift the garage door and if it doesn’t work, the garage door won’t open at all.
You may notice a loud bang from the garage and it is a clear signal that tells you about the broken torsion spring. The garage door is too heavy and the torsion spring cannot lift the door well. If it happens, you will need to call the professional because it is a complex project for you to handle. Plus, changing the torsion spring by yourself can be very dangerous.
6. Garage Door is Locked
One of the simple things that prevents you from opening the garage door using the opener is related to the lock button of the garage door itself. The garage door is wall-mounted in the garage and you or someone in your house might accidentally lock the button. It might be simple, but it will prevent you from opening the garage door easily. To fix it, you just need to unlock the garage door lock button and test whether the door is working or not.
7. Remote Needs to be Reprogrammed
Calling a professional can help you with the issue, but you can solve it yourself by trying to reprogram the remote. It is important because the constant use of the remote can disturb the signal and it needs to be reprogrammed before using.
To do it, you just need to press the opener’s learn button. After 30 seconds, you will need to hold the button on the remote for three seconds or wait until the light on the opener blinks. Test the remote to make sure that the programming works.