Garage doors have a lot of complex moving parts that need care over time. If you keep your car in the garage, you properly open and close the door at least once a day to go to work, take your kids to school or run errands. Every once in a while, you’ll need to prioritize routine maintenance and repair to prolong your garage door’s life span.
You may be able to fix some garage door problems yourself, but it’s always best to call in professionals because these kinds of repairs are considered dangerous. Follow these tips to know when to do it yourself and when to get some garage door help.
Common Garage Door Problems You Can Repair Yourself
While it’s best to rely on a professional technician, you can handle a few common garage door repairs on your own. These do-it-yourself garage door repairs are relatively straightforward:
How Do I Operate My Garage Door When the Power is Off?
If you have a power outage in your local area, you may lose power to your garage door. Fortunately, you can operate your garage door manually.
Make sure the door is closed before disengaging the opener system. Then, pull on the emergency release cord. This cord is usually a red rope that hangs from the garage door’s trolley. Tug the cord to move the door along its tracks until the power returns. If the release cord doesn’t work, contacting a garage door technician is best to troubleshoot and fix the problem.
Why Does My Garage Door Go Up by Itself?
Your garage door might go up by itself for several reasons, such as a malfunctioning garage door opener. Consult the manual to determine how to change your garage door opener’s frequency and repair as necessary. If the auto-reversal mechanism is activated, clean the photo-eye sensors and clear obstructions from the pathway. Adjust the limit settings if the garage door doesn’t close properly. If you discover that it may be an electrical issue, it’s best to consult a professional.
How to Fix the Disconnect Switch
If the wall switch to your garage door is not working, you can troubleshoot the problem independently. The problem is most likely related to the wiring or the switch itself. Test the wiring by detaching the wires from the switch and carefully touching them together.
The switch is the issue if the opener responds when the wire touches. Otherwise, you’ll need to replace the wires. You may want to contact an expert technician if you’d rather not handle electricity.
What if the Sensor to My Garage Door Is Open?
If your garage door starts to close and stops before reversing, the sensor may keep your garage door open for several reasons. Try using the cardboard test to find out if something is wrong with the photo-eye sensors. Choose cardboard boxes higher than the photo-eye sensors and try to close the garage door automatically.
If the photo-eye sensors malfunction, the garage door won’t stop and will destroy the boxes. In that case, switch to manual operation and keep the door shut to keep you and your loved ones safe. Consult a professional to replace your photo-eye sensors and inspect your garage door further.
My Garage Door Only Closes With the Remote
If the safety sensors are misaligned or malfunctioning, you may need to press and hold the wall control button to close the garage door. Holding down the button overrides the safety feature of the garage door opener. To fix this issue, clean the sensor lens and check for debris such as dust and cobwebs. Clear any obstructions from the garage door’s pathway and ensure the sensor path is straight. If one sensor becomes loose, the sensor line will break, and the opener system won’t work.
You should also ensure the sensors’ lights are either green or red. Adjust the sensors until both lights come on, and secure the sensors in place by tightly fastening the bracket screw.
How Do I Maintain My Garage Door?
Even though it’s usually best to choose professional preventative maintenance for your garage door, you can also take care of the system yourself. Inspect the entire system and make notes of any damages. Clean all the working parts to remove debris and residue buildup. When the garage door system is dirt-free, lubricate all moving parts with white lithium grease.
You can also regularly test your garage door system by disconnecting the opener and manually operating the door. This way, you can determine irregular behavior and know whether you need to contact a technician.
My Garage Door Is off Track
A garage door can slip off track due to dirt or damage to the system. To fix this issue, disconnect the garage door from the power supply and use vice grips to realign the rollers. Open the track with pliers and guide the roller into place, then close the track with a rubber mallet when the roller is secure. After making this adjustment, test the garage door to ensure it’s back on track.
I Can’t Get My Garage Door Open
Your garage door might not open for several reasons. It could be something as simple as dead batteries in your garage door opener. You can start by taking care of the easy troubleshooting ideas, such as replacing your garage door batteries, ensuring the opener is connected to a power source and unlocking your garage door. If you still can’t get the garage door open, you may need to consult a professional to check out the electrical wiring or other complex parts.
How Do I Fix Garage Door Noises?
Most of the time, a squeaky noise or unusual sound may indicate that there’s a screw loose or metal parts that need lubrication. As you operate your garage door, listen for the parts and make adjustments as necessary. Humming or banging noises could indicate a serious issue with the door, so you’d need to consult a professional.
The Dangers of DIY Garage Door Repairs
You should never attempt advanced repairs to a garage door system with a DIY approach for several reasons. Garage doors are extremely heavy — most weigh between 100 and 300 pounds. If the door should slip or come crashing down while you are performing extensive repairs, injuries can be severe, if not fatal. That’s not to mention the extensive property damage associated with falling garage doors.
Advanced garage door repairs often require more than one technician and various essential specialized tools and equipment. Even if you have some of the necessary tools, you may not have the expertise to repair major garage door system problems on your own safely.
When to Call a Garage Door Technician
While you can troubleshoot and mend minor garage door issues, it’s essential to reach out to an experienced technician if the following repair needs arise:
Broken springs: Since springs are under constant pressure and could snap, it’s best to let a professional handle spring replacement. Safely replacing the springs requires specific tools and skills. If you’ve discovered you need new springs, avoid using your garage door, as the springs could give in at any moment.
Broken or cracked door panels: Since garage door panels can be heavy, you’ll need at least two people to help you replace them. Expert garage door technicians have the skills and equipment to replace broken garage doors safely.
Sagging garage door: Regularly test your garage door system by operating it manually. Use the release cord to pull the door along its tracks. Let the door stop halfway. If it stays in place, the door is balanced. But if the door drops, you’ll need to reach out to a technician.
Broken photo-eye sensor: If you have cleaned the dust and debris out of the photo-eye sensors and they’re still not working, you’ll need to consult a professional to inspect and repair them.
Broken garage door bracket: The garage door’s top bracket looks like a hockey stick, and it connects to the cables. Contact a professional to replace your bent or worn brackets so the door operates properly.
Garage door is not level: If you test your garage door and it’s not level, identify the problem after you’ve disconnected the door from the power source. In that case, you will want to consult a professional because you may not want to deal with the garage door’s weight. A garage door technician can diagnose the issue and fix the electrical wiring as needed.
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