Most people discover their garage door won’t open, when they are about to go out or when they are back home from work.

 

Considering that you are reading this post on your phone desperately trying to figure out why your garage won’t open, let’s get to it.

 

Now, some of these problems might be an easy fix for others you would need to call in the professionals. Look for garage door repair experts in your area to fix the more complicated issues and to do general maintenance work.

 

Many garage doors come with manual locks, like the ones we have on front doors. You would know if your garage has a manual lock or not. If you hear the sound of the motor and you get the feeling that the malfunction is because of an obstruction, then start by checking the lock.

 

It’s an easy fix, no need to bother the professionals.

 

 

Most garage door remotes have a great range that allows you to open the door from a considerable distance. However, the range depends on the make of the transmitters. If your garage door doesn’t open, it can be simply because you are out of range.

 

Drive closer to the garage and try again. If it doesn’t work, speak to a garage door repair guy about replacing the transmitter set.

 

 

While rare, it’s entirely possible that the garage door won’t open because of a blockage. Most people store their tools in the garage and even a solitary screwdriver can jam the movement of the chain.

 

Unless it’s an easy fix like removing a rock or a tool, it’s best to contact a garage door repair company. They have the tools and expertise to dismantle the setup and check for obstructions.

 

 

Your garage door opener requires power to work. If the power outlet has no power or the opener is unplugged your garage door won’t open. Power outlets can go bust after years of usage and thus the possibility cannot be ruled out. Check by trying to run an appliance plugging it in the power outlet, unless you have a multimeter.

 

If the opener is unplugged, you need to simply plug it back in. If the power outlet is out of commission, it’s best to call in an electrician.  

 

 

All garage doors have a manual release cord. Much like the emergency cord on a treadmill, this disconnects the motor and stops the remote function. This allows you to manually operate the garage door in case of a power outage.

 

Check to see if the cord has been pulled or if there is a disconnect button that has been accidentally activated. This is a very easy fix and you should be able to do this on your own.

 

 

Every garage door motor has an antenna to receive the transmitter signal. If the antenna is broken, the remote functionality would obviously fail. 

 

The antenna can easily be replaced by garage door repair technicians.

 

 

All garage doors have a set of safety eyes. These are fitted at two ends of the door. These photo eyes transmit a beam of signal to ensure nothing is in the path when the garage door is closing. In normal operating mode, the two eyes need to be perfectly aligned with each other and the invisible signal beam needs to be unobstructed. Now, the problem happens if the path between these safety eyes is blocked. The system thinks there is someone or something in the path of the garage door and as a safety measure, it prevents the door from closing or opening.

 

Check if the LED light on the eye is blinking. If it is then it’s an alignment issue, you can call in a professional or try to align the eyes by making tiny adjustments. If it’s a visible obstruction, then you need to remove it so the beam can pass from one end to the other.

 

Transmitter problem is not that uncommon and it can prevent the door from opening.

 

Simply change the batteries and try again. If it’s still not working your transmitter may have malfunctioned. Call in a local garage repair company near you to get it replaced.

 

 

Torsion springs help the garage door opener to lift the heavy weight of the door. The opener on it’s own is not powerful enough to open the door. Every door has two torsion springs and if one of them fails, the garage door won’t open. In most cases, you will find the door is struggling to open without quite making it.

Garage door spring repair work is best left to the professionals.

 

 

A broken chain is easy to figure out. However, if the chain is misaligned or loose, it can also hinder the door from opening.

 

Call in a professional garage door repair company to fix this problem. Replacing broken chain requires specialized tools and expertise and is definitely not a DIY project.

 

Garage Door Requires Lubrication and Maintenance

 

Much like your car, your garage door needs maintenance. This is mainly because it has a lot of moving parts that need lubrication to function smoothly. A rusty chain and spring might be the cause of the problem.

 

Aside from seeking emergency garage door repair services, you should also perform regular maintenance work. Garage door maintenance professionals usually have a checklist to ensure everything from the sensors to the motor is working optimally.