Updated: October 31, 2023
Posted: March 30, 2016
Troubleshooting Your Garage Door
A garage door that won’t open can be very frustrating – and a huge problem if you’re running late and need your car! It can be easy to panic in this situation, but staying calm and assessing the problem will be much more helpful.
5 Steps to Troubleshooting Garage Door Problems
There are a few simple troubleshooting techniques that address the most common problems you can try to gain access to your garage, which we’ve outlined here:
Troubleshoot 1: Change your batteries
Sometimes it’s the simple things.
Try standing closer to the door and using the remote, if this works, the batteries in your remote are dying.
If you press the button and no red light shows on the remote, try swapping the batteries for a fresh pair and try again.
Troubleshoot 2: Check the lock mode
Holding down the button on your remote too long can activate the lock mode, which prevents the door from opening again if the remote is used.
Try holding down the button for a few more seconds to deactivate the lock mode and then try again.
If this still doesn’t work, it is possible that your garage door has gone into ‘holiday’ mode and will need unlocked from the wall control inside the garage.
Troubleshoot 3: Look for loose wires
If you can access the inside of your garage, look for the wires that run from the control box to the ceiling and hold each wire individually.
Take it in turns to gently wiggle each wire while pressing the remote button at the same time. If the door opens while wiggling a wire, make a note of it.
Shut the power off and use a screwdriver to tighten this wire, and then reconnect the power and try to open the door again.
Troubleshoot 4: Adjust your sensor
We all know the importance of the garage door’s electric eye when it comes to the door closing, but any failings with this device and the door may also refuse to open.
Try cleaning the eyes thoroughly and realign the sensors, if necessary, to ensure the beam is transmitted clearly to the receiver.
Do this a little at a time, pressing the remote button as you go.
Troubleshoot 5: Call out a door specialist
If none of these basic troubleshoots have remedied your stuck door, the best course of action would be to call out a garage door specialist to take a look at the inner workings of the garage door and work out what’s gone wrong.
Not only will this solve the problem quickly, it will prevent you from attempting to fix any potentially dangerous mechanisms yourself and causing yourself or others harm.
JB Doors have 30 years of industry experience, meaning we have the expertise to handle any garage door breakdown in a professional and efficient way.
Our qualified team will remedy your faulty garage door as quickly as possible, and we also supply spare parts for broken garage doors by next day delivery, so your garage doesn’t have to be left unsecured for long periods of time.
For more information on our services, get in contact today. We’ll be happy to assist in any way we can.
