Home repairs aren’t fun, but they’re often necessary. Homes comprise hundreds of different components and mechanisms, all of which seem to collect their fair share of wear and tear over time. This wear and tear leads to different mechanisms failing. Even something like the garage door can stop opening or closing. Continue reading to learn about the possible reasons your garage door won’t open or close.
Stripped Gear
A common occurrence with garage door openers is that the gear in the opener gets stripped as they get older. Once the gear goes through enough use and gets stripped, it won’t be able to catch, leading to the opening mechanism still turning but the garage door not moving. The best way to tell that the problem is a stripped gear is to look at the opener, but sometimes this isn’t an option. Another telltale sign that the gear is the issue is that the door isn’t opening, but you can hear the humming noise of everything else moving. You’ll need to get a new gear, but in the meantime, you can open the door manually if possible.Manual Lock
Another reason the door may not open or close is that someone accidentally manually locked it. This lock won’t be possible with every garage door, but it is possible with some. A good indicator that the manual lock has been engaged is hearing the motor running for a moment but quickly shutting off. Thankfully, fixing a manual lock is fairly straightforward. The manual lock looks like a handle with bars going straight across, and they’re easy to trigger accidentally. You can easily bump into the lock when doing something near the door, like moving storage or getting something out of your trunk. You’ll need to turn the handle to disengage the lock until you hear a snap. Doing this moves the bar and should get the door working again!Lock Mode
There is a manual lock with some garage doors, and others offer a “lock mode.” Many modern garage doors have an electronic locking mechanism instead of the manual lock. Similar to the manual lock, it is also easy to accidentally engage it. Instead of bumping the lock, you may accidentally hold down your garage door button a little too long. Doing so locks the door, and a normal button press is no longer enough to activate the door. Thankfully, the fix is just as easy as locking it. All you need to do is hold the button down again for a few seconds. After doing this, the door should be back in working order.Blocked Photo Eye
One of the biggest safety mechanisms for garage doors is the photo eye. Before this safety feature was invented, there was no mechanism for stopping the garage door from closing on an object or person. The photo-eye is a sensor that faces where the garage door closes, and if something gets in the way of that sensor, the garage door will reverse and stop closing. It’s an ingenious design, but it can also malfunction easily. The eye can easily get dirty, have something block its vision, or become misaligned. Look into the photo eye to see if something is blocking it, and everything should start working again after you’ve cleared the blockage or realigned it.Lack of Power
Another common reason the garage door may fail to open or close is its loss of access to power. This power loss can happen for a variety of reasons. A common reason is something accidentally getting unplugged. Thankfully, that’s a simple fix. Another reason it could have lost power is a blown fuse or an issue with the circuit breaker. You could see if the breaker tripped and if you could easily flip it back, but if you blew a fuse, you’d need to contact professionals.Broken Springs
Sometimes, you can hear the motor running, but the garage door is not moving. It’s a common issue, and the likely answer is that the springs in the opening mechanism have broken. Much like the stripped gears, this is a common result of using the garage door continuously for years. The springs can rust and lose their ability to stretch as easily as they used to. It’s important to keep an eye on the springs before this happens. If the springs break while the door isn’t in use, you won’t be able to use the door. If the spring breaks while opening or closing, the door could fall on you, your vehicle, or something else. If you think your springs have broken or are going to break, contact the professionals as soon as possible.Expired Remote Batteries
Sometimes, the garage door may work as normal, but it may not open or close with your remote opener. In instances like this, the likely answer is that your remote batteries have expired. Checking this out is easy, so you can see if it is a battery issue or something larger. After the door fails to open or close with your remote, check the garage door button. If this opens and closes the door, then the remote is the issue.Broken Cables
The springs and gears are important parts of the garage door, but the cables actually move the door. If the door isn’t opening or closing and it’s not the springs or gear, it may be the cables. Like with everything else, these can easily wear and can potentially snap. The cables are more likely to snap after the springs have already failed; thus, you shouldn’t try to manually open the door if you suspect that the springs have failed, as doing so puts the cables at a much greater risk of snapping.Misaligned Door Track
There are a lot of different mechanisms at play with the garage door system, and it’s relatively easy for something to malfunction and for the track to get misaligned. One spring rusting more than the other can quickly lead to misalignment, as can harsh weather conditions. Debris can collect in the track and interfere, and so can changes in humidity or temperature. A good indication that the tracks are misaligned is a loud squeaking sound as the system tries to move the door up and down.Deactivated Motor
Another common reason the door may not open or close is that the motors may need to be activated. It’s easy to catch the cord connecting the motor and accidentally pull it, deactivating it. Thankfully, activating it again is simple, but don’t hesitate to contact a professional if you have issues. After learning about the possible reasons your garage door won’t open or close, it’s time to fix it! Some of these reasons require some simple fixes that you can take care of yourself, but others require a professional touch. That’s where Steel City Garage Doors comes in to help! We offer 24-hour garage door repair so you can get the door fixed and get back to living life like normal!
