Broken Garage Door?

6 tips you can try before calling a professional

Garage Door Safety First

First, consider your own safety and the safety of others before you perform any kind of maintenance on your broken garage door or opener. There are several ways you can get hurt. Injuries can range from minor scratches up to fatalities. If you are ever unsure about what you’re about to do, stop immediately, and consult a professional. Make sure you’re wearing your personal protective equipment before starting any kind of work on your garage door.

Does your garage door opener have electrical power?

This might seem obvious but it can be an easy problem to overlook. Make sure you haven’t tripped the circuit breaker to the garage door opener. If the breaker is okay, check to see if the opener runs through a GFI electrical outlet that might have tripped. Search for the GFI outlet and click the “test” button. Next, press the “reset” button. If that isn’t your problem, make sure the vibration of the garage door opening and closing hasn’t caused the opener electrical cord to become loose.

Check the emergency release near the garage door opener

Is the chain, screw, or belt drive moving while the garage door stays stationary? If so, this is likely to be your problem. Push the handle back into the “locked” position and press the “open/close” button. The garage door should engage and begin working properly.

Check the wall console to make sure it isn’t on “Vacation Lock"

Most modern garage door openers have a “Vacation Lock” switch installed to add an extra measure of security to the garage door. People often use vacation lock when people they want to make sure no one else can access the building. It’s a simple but common mistake to make. It’s also the easiest problem to fix. Flip or press the vacation lock switch then operate the garage door as normal.

Check the photo eyes

The photo eyes or safety lenses act as a safety device to stop the garage door from shutting and causing damage to the door or whatever is in the way. It’s also used to keep from injuring people and animals who might be in the way. The photo-eyes are located approximately six inches off of the garage floor on both sides of the garage door opening. As long as nothing breaks the line of sight between them, the garage door should operate as intended. Make sure the eyes are “looking” at each other and there are no obstructions between them. Even something as small as a spider web might obstruct the beam just enough to cause intermittent problems. The overhead light will flash on many garage door openers when something obstructs the photo eyes or causes them to become misaligned.

Is your garage door stuck in the closed position?

Visually inspect the torsion springs on either side of the garage door opener drive. There should be two torsion springs attached to the drive. If one of the springs has broken away from the drive, you will need to call a professional to repair this. DO NOT attempt to repair or replace the broken torsion spring by yourself.

Does the garage door catch on one side while opening or closing?

Visually inspect the tracks and rollers on each side of the garage door. A bent track or roller can cause the garage to stick when it reaches the bent track or when the broken roller becomes engages. A common area to check for a damaged track is where the track pieces come together on one side of the door.

Not sure what's wrong with your garage door?

It’s always best to call in the professionals in this situation. The money you spend on the service call and repair is well worth the peace of mind you’ll have when you know that your garage door problems are a thing of the past and your family and valuables are secure once again.

Click the orange button below to get a free estimate from your local garage door repair company.