You are certainly not alone if a garage door that won’t budge is causing you frustration. As the leading provider of expert garage door repairs in Austin and across the Hill Country, we are often asked why a garage door might not be opening or closing.
The friendly experts at Gator Garage Door Repair would like to share some basic troubleshooting tips and let you know when to call us for help.
Power Source Issues
Make sure the garage door opener mounted on your garage wall is receiving power. A tripped circuit breaker or an unplugged opener could be the culprit. If you find no power at all, the issue may require professional help to check electrical connections.
Is the Door Locked?
The simplest explanation is often overlooked. If your garage door tries to move but won’t, check to see if the lock has been manually engaged. Disengaging the lock may be all it takes to get your door freed up and back in working order.
Misaligned or Blocked Safety Sensors
Modern garage doors rely on safety sensors to prevent accidents. If your garage door won’t close, it could be due to damaged, blocked, or misaligned sensors. Examine the sensors and if they are dirty or blocked, clear them.
Try realigning them so they point at each other, and if these steps don’t work, it’s best to contact a technician to inspect the mechanism.
Remote or Wall Switch Problems
If the garage door opener isn’t responding to the remote or wall switch, the issue could be with the transmitter. Try replacing the batteries in your remote control. If the garage door still won’t open, you could have an electrical problem with the wall switch or receiver that requires professional attention.
Broken Springs or Cables
Broken torsion springs or snapped cables are common, but more serious, issues. These parts are essential to the proper functioning of your garage door because they bear the weight of the door as it opens and closes. This is a potentially dangerous repair that a professional technician should always handle.
Misaligned or Damaged Tracks
Garage doors run in closed tracks, and if the tracks become bent by a vehicle or other damage, a door will often stop moving smoothly — or at all. Look over the tracks for visible damage, debris, or misalignment. Minor adjustments might fix the problem, but if the tracks have suffered significant damage, it’s time to call in an expert.
When to Call the Pros at Gator Garage Door Repair
While you might resolve some of these garage door problems with basic troubleshooting, others involve complex or dangerous components like electrical connections, springs, and cables.
If you’re still asking why your garage door might not be opening and closing after reading this post, it’s best to contact the team at Gator Garage Door Repair.
If you’re struggling with garage door trouble, we’re ready to help. Call us at (512) 981-7998 to schedule service or contact us today!