Common Reasons Why a Garage Door is Not Opening Properly

Common Reasons Why a Garage Door Is Not Opening Properly

garage door not opening

As something that you use on a daily basis, your garage door is bound to break after some time. One indication of this is when your door stops functioning properly. 

If your garage door does not open normally, you need to examine it for damaged parts and faulty mechanisms. Call Elite Garage Door Repair for professional garage door repair services.

Table of Contents

Power Source

garage door opener chamberlain

Automatic garage doors require electrical power to function. So, the first thing you need to look at when your door doesn’t open properly is its power supply.

Make sure that you plug your garage door opener into a working socket. You can confirm that the outlet has a power supply by plugging in another appliance.

If the electrical appliance works, then you may have a broken garage door opener. On the other, if it doesn’t, then you need to find another outlet to plug your operator in.

Why Does My Garage Door Only Open Halfway?

It can be frustrating when your door opens but stops halfway. But you shouldn’t panic. Instead, try opening your door manually so you can enter your garage and determine the cause of the problem afterward.

The Garage Door Can Be Operated Manually

garage door manual open

If your garage door suddenly won’t open all the way, you can shift to manual mode to operate your door. In order to operate the garage door manually, you simply need to pull the red emergency release cord dangling from the opener.

This will disconnect the operator trolley from the garage door, so you can lift your door to open it manually.

Blocked Sensors

blocked garage door sensors
Once you’ve taken your car inside your garage, it’s now time to find out why your garage door only opens halfway. The first thing you have to check is the sensors.
The reason why your door is stopping midway may be because your opener thinks something is in the doorway. When in reality, you may just have blocked sensors due to dust and dirt.
Try cleaning the photo-eye sensors using soapy water and a sponge and see if this will fix the issue.

Misaligned Sensors

garage door sensor allignment

Another common problem with garage door sensors that may cause your door to open irregularly is misalignment. Improperly aligned sensors will also hinder your door from functioning correctly.

So, you need to loosen the screws holding the sensors and adjust the latter so that they are even on both sides.

Weather Effects

damage garage door
Weather damage is also a probable cause why your garage door is not opening properly. Rain and humidity can rust your garage door tracks, hailstone can cause dents, while strong winds can set your door off-track.
For these reasons, you need to carefully examine your door for damaged parts and fix them. In case you encounter a complicated issue, Elite Garage Door Repair is your garage door repair company to call. We offer a wide range of solutions for residential and commercial garage doors.

Your Garage Door Torsion Springs Are Broken

broken garage door spring
Garage door springs and cables are the main mechanisms that move your garage door. Thus, when these components break, you’ll find it difficult to operate your door. More than that, it’ll also be unsafe to use your door.
A loud thud usually accompanies breaking springs. This sound comes from the weight of your door and the extreme tension in the springs.
When you hear this noise, you should stop operating your garage door and contact a garage door spring repair specialist. Don’t try to replace the springs on your own since you could end up in an accident if you’re unskilled.

Your Cables Have Snapped Or Popped Off

rusted garage door cables

Since cables depend on the tension of torsion springs, you can expect your cables to break after your springs snap. When this happens, it’ll also be dangerous to operate your door. Thus, you must call a garage door cable repair specialist so you can safely use your garage door again. 

Your Remote Control Is Malfunctioning

Various reasons can cause a garage door to not open with the remote. If the bellow-mentioned solutions fail, you can reprogram the remote as a last resort.

You might be out of range – In case your garage door opener doesn’t respond to the remote, you might be out of the signal range.
Try to operate your garage door closer for the automatic opener to work.

The antenna on the motor could be damaged or blocked – If it’s damaged or interfered it won’t receive signals from your remote clearly. Because of this, you’ll need to replace the antenna or install an extension, so it can better receive signals.

You need to change the battery in the remote – If you haven’t replaced the battery on your remote in years, then it’s probably out of battery juice. Thus, you need to change the battery to be able to use the remote again.

The Garage Door Is Off The Track

off track garage door

A garage door that has gone off-track will be difficult to operate since it would be shaky. Apart from this, you could end up doing more damage to your door if you continue using it. Therefore, it’s best to just ask the assistance of a professional garage door technician to troubleshoot the issue. 

The Garage Door Motor Is Running But You Cannot Open The Garage Door

garage door opener installation

If you hear your garage door motor moving but not the door, that tells you that something is wrong with the opener. With this, you should check up on the alignment of the sensors or the condition of your cables. To restore your garage door, you have to make sure that the safety sensors are properly aligned and the cables are tight. 

The Garage Door Wall Switch Is Not Working

wall switch chamberlain

Your garage door should move with just a click on the wall switch. If it doesn’t, you need to check if the LED light is blinking. That means your wall switch is disconnected or something’s wrong with your garage door opener.

Locked Door

locked garage door

Don’t dismiss the possibility that you have a locked garage door. Maybe your family locked it from the inside, that’s why you can’t operate your door automatically. In this case, unlock your door or ask someone inside to do it so you can enter your garage.

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