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Writer's pictureThe Door Depot Team

Reasons Why Your Garage Door Won't Open or Close


Garage doors are frequently used in most residential homes. A common problem faced with

garage doors, however, is difficulty in opening or closing them. Smooth handling of the

garage is a must in people’s daily lives and a dysfunctional mechanism only worsens things.

If you are facing the hassles of a faulty garage door, there are a few possible reasons you

might have failed to notice. To make things easier for you, here is a curated list of common

reasons that can explain the poor functioning of your garage door. Understanding these can

help you fix your problem and bring back a hassle-free door for your garage.


1. Dysfunctional in Safety Sensors


A lot of time, safety sensors installed to keep pets or children away from closing doors

become a problem. These might drain power quicker or get dirty over time and eventually

fail to send signals when required. As a result of faulty sensors, garage doors may not close

properly when needed.


This also happens when sensors are not aligned properly while installation, thus, causing

garage doors to fail to receive safety signals.


2. Drained Out or Expired Batteries


A very common problem behind garage doors not working smoothly is batteries running out

of power. Garage door transmitters should be kept in check for their connection without

which garage doors will naturally fail to open or close. In case of a blown fuse or circuit, it

might also need replacement.


However, many homeowners also ignore the expiration dates of transmitter batteries.

Batteries expiring their running life is a commoner issue that affects the smooth functioning

of garage doors.


3. Broken or Damaged Garage Door Tracks


In a lot of scenarios, garage door tracks are meant to keep the door open, get damaged,

blocked, bent, or even broken. This especially happens to heavyweight doors and needs

immediate action. Professional help is usually advised in these cases and external blockages

should be removed carefully. Leaving garage door tracks damaged may lead to worse

problems and even dangerous accidents.


4. Damaged Tension Springs


Broken tension springs are one of the most common problems that service people face

when they repair garages. Torsion springs and extension springs that help in

opening and closing garage doors need replacement and maintenance periodically. If these

springs have exhausted their cycles, it is likely that your garage door shall give a loud pop

and stop working. These also require immediate repair to avoid dangerous accidents.


5. Snapped Cables


Some professionals consider snapped cable an even worse problem than broken tension

springs. The cables are mainly responsible for the physical act of bringing the garage door up

or down. If this fundamental mechanism stops working smoothly, your garage door shall

slam on the ground and crush whatever is there in its way. Seek professional repair in case

of damaged tension springs and snapped cables as these are the most dangerous damages

that can occur in your garage door.


6. Incorrect Limit Setting Adjustment


Limit settings are responsible for the range of garage doors opening and closing. A lot of

times these settings are incorrect, that is, they are way too sensitive or way less and affect

the mechanism of the door. This is also correlated with control settings that determine

when the doors should open or close. If your garage door is facing issues with these settings,

you must try and test what suits you best and adjust the default settings for better

functioning.


7. Other Obstacles


Last but not the least reason is that of obstacles. If garage doors don’t operate smoothly,

there is a high chance that obstacles like debris, rocks, or even tiny toys are stuck in the

tracks. To avoid these getting in the way of your everyday garage use, make sure to clean

your garage door from time to time.


Final Thoughts


There can be countless reasons why your garage door may not be working to your

commands and that is definitely a hassle in the way of life. Recognizing the common sources

of problems in garage doors can help you proceed with professional garage door

maintenance. Issues like these should be handled with great care and efficiency.

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