On average a garage door operates about 1,500 times annually and this frequent usage means that it’s not uncommon for homeowners to eventually have issues with their doors.
There could be few reasons why your garage door is not opening or closing properly and the common reasons include obstructions in the door path, misaligned sensors, springs tension or problems with opener itself.
Here are the most common garage door issues:
Garage door safety sensors issues
The sensors are designed to increase your safety and prevent accidents usually installed near the bottom of each door track they employ infrared technology to detect objects in the path of a closing garage door. When an obstruction is detected the sensors send a signal to the garage door opener to reverse the door and prevent potential injuries or damages. Misalignment, dirt or broken wiring can lead to problems with closing the door.
Broken springs
Broken springs are the most common garage door issue and broken springs can cause the garage door to become unbalanced and even to a sudden fall. It could be very useful to recognize the signs before a spring is about to break like uneven movement or loud noises during operation. Replacing broken springs should always be handled by a professional as the high tension in these springs can cause serious injury if you don’t know what you’re doing. Regular maintenance and spring lubricant are the key to ensure a safe operation of your garage doors.
Roller issues
Damaged garage door rollers can slow down the smooth operation of the door. The rollers are placed along the track and guide the door as it opens and closes. Over time these rollers can wear out and get out of the tracks which will lead to a noisy and uneven movement of the door and in severe cases it can cause the door to come out off the tracks.
Off track garage door
An off track is a major issue that compromises the functionality and safety of your garage. This problem happens when the door is disconnecting from the tracks from several different reasons like a car impact, worn rollers, broken springs and misaligned tracks. It’s highly recommended not to operate the door in this state as it poses a great risk of damage or injury.
Remote control problems
Garage door remote issues can be a very frustrating and lead to a non responsive operation of the garage door. Dead batteries, signal interference or distance issues are the common reasons for this issue. Sometimes this problem can happen because of the remote transmitter being out of sync with the garage door opener receiver and reprogram it will fix it immediately.
Dying garage door opener
Over time openers can experience some issues that can lead to decreased performance and the common symptoms are inconsistent response, unusual noises or slow movement. These problems with your opener can pose safety risks especially if your garage opener opens by itself while your a way leaving your home vulnerable to break-ins.