Garage Door Opener Troubleshooting

Garage door opener, as the name suggests, is a machine used for opening and closing the garage doors. Garage door openers are available in the electric as well as the remote control version. The latter version is very much in use nowadays and has seen a lot of development in the past few years. A brief knowledge of the mechanism of the garage door opener and the parts that make it, would give a better idea for garage door opener troubleshooting.

Mechanism of a Garage Door Opener

The most important part of the garage door opener is the power unit which has an electric motor joined to it. This power unit is fixed to a track and the opening and closing of the door is possible because of a trolley attached to the top arm of the garage door. This trolley is controlled along the track with the help of a chain that turns on when the electric motor is switched on. In case of power failures or some problems, the quick release mechanism fixed to the trolley disconnects the door from the opener and you can thus open and close the door manually. There are limit switches present on the power unit which control the opening and closing of the door. Malfunctioning of any of the above mentioned parts cause problems to the garage door opener. The most frequently faced problems and garage door opener troubleshooting tips are discussed below.

Troubleshooting Garage Door Opener Problems

Garage Door Reverses on Hitting the Floor
In such cases, there might be some problem in the close limit switch of the power unit. It needs to be adjusted, so that the garage door closes properly.

Garage Door Reverses While Closing
Over here, the closing mechanism of the garage door opener is at fault. This fault is not allowing the door to shut completely. You therefore need to check out for the closing mechanism and adjust the force.

Garage Door is not Opening
It sometimes might happen that the garage door is not opening properly even after operating the remote control and even the limit switches inside the garage. In such cases, check whether the electric motor is properly working and also check the tracks of the garage door. There might be a lot of dust accumulated on the tracks that is blocking the path of the door.

Garage Door makes Noise on Opening/Does not Open Quickly
Sometimes, the garage door makes a lot of noise while opening or does not open smoothly on operating the switches. If this is the case, then your garage door tracks are running out of lubrication. It is therefore suggested to clean and lubricate the tracks completely so that the path of the garage door is not blocked.

Garage Door is not Opening or Closing when Operated with the Remote Control
Even when you operate the remote control, the door does not respond. In this case, you have to check everything from tracks to the remote control. If you find everything in place and you are still facing a problem, you need to check the remote control. Perform a check on the battery and the signal. If this doesn't work, it is time to change the remote.

These were some of the most commonly faced problems with garage door openers. However, technological advances in garage door openers have actually made garage door opener troubleshooting much easier. There are opener indicator systems that display the cause and the solution to problems and you can quickly nip the problem in the bud. But sometimes, the problem can be bigger and its solution, complicated. In such cases, you need to promptly call up a professional and get your problem solved.