Having spent years in this business, we have a lot of experience with commercial and residential garage doors. We have dealt with pretty much any issue you can imagine. But there are still some things that surprise us from time to time. One issue that springs to mind is when a client called us about their malfunctioning door. Upon arrival, we found a nest of insects growing on the photo eye sensor! Talk about a unique problem. Fortunately, it was an easy fix.
There are times when you might be able to fix the problem yourself but if you are unsure, then you should always err on the side of caution and hire a professional. With that said, here are some reasons why your garage door won’t work.
The Transmitter Might Need a New Battery
The first thing that you should always check is your transmitter. Make sure that it is still able to open the door when the button is pressed. If it works, then you probably just need to replace the battery in your car transmitter. If you own more than one transmitter, then you should test them all.
It’s easy to change the battery on your transmitter. You can simply unscrew the battery cover and replace it. Make sure that you properly dispose of the old battery. Once it’s in place, you should test to make sure it works. Then replace the cover.
Photo Eye is Not Aligned Properly
Remember when we were kids and had this stupid game that we played where we closed the garage door and ran underneath it as quickly as possible before it closed? That’s a very risky game but we did it without a second thought. Well, that’s not possible now since we now have a photo eye installed that prevents the door from closing when an object is underneath it.
The point here is that these eyes might not be aligned properly. If you find that the door opens correctly but does not close like it’s supposed to, then the eyes could be to blame. Over time, these eyes will get dirty and the light from the beam can be blocked.
When you are cleaning the photo eye, make sure that you use a scratch-proof cloth so that you do not damage it.
Track is Not Properly Aligned
This can actually be a serious issue that will damage your door and could cost a lot of money in other repairs. The metal tracks on your garage door must be properly aligned so that the door can move along it with no resistance. The door is so heavy that when the track is out of alignment, it can compound these issues.
There are a few things you can do to help remedy this issue on your own. For instance, you might try loosening the screws and tap the track back into alignment before replacing the screws.
If the garage door will not move at all, then you will need to bring in a professional.
