Common Automatic Garage Door Problems
Garage doors are usually one of the more trouble-free items in your home, and when regular preventive maintenance is applied, trouble can be extremely rare. Extremely rare is not the same as non-existent, though, and when you do have garage door problems, they can be very irritating.
Among the most common garage door problems is a noisy door. A garage door may become noisy for several reasons, but the most likely problem is sticking rollers. In an extreme case, a roller may become completely frozen, making it impossible to open the door – either with the automatic door opener or manually. Clearly a situation to be avoided, and it can be with regular maintenance. From time to time, thoroughly lubricate each roller shaft and roller with a good 3 in 1 type oil. Apply the oil while moving both the roller and the roller shaft. If a roller doesn’t move freely after oiling, it needs to be replaced.
Over time, hinges between the panels of your door or the brackets with which the rollers are mounted may become loose. When that happens, the door may not be squarely located within the opening provided by the rails. If it is askew to even a small degree, it will not move smoothly, scraping and squealing as the opener drags it up or down by brute force, rather than rolling up and down smoothly. If the mounting screws simply need to be tightened, that is something you can do yourself easily. If the bracket or hinge is loose because the hole has become worn, you are looking at a repair that should be done by a qualified repairman.
Most other garage door problems are problems with the garage door opener. It doesn’t matter if the door itself is in perfect working order if the device that opens and closes it isn’t working. Fortunately, most of the possible problems with a garage door opener are easily remedied.
Foremost among garage door opener problems is a door that won’t open or close. Nothing happens. No attempted movement, no noise, nothing. The solution is generally as simple as getting within range of the opener. They just don’t work if you are too far away for the signal from your remote to communicate with opener motor. Another reason the signal may not be reaching the opener would be a dead or weak battery. Of course, it might be that the signal exists and is strong enough to get to the opener, but the opener can’t receive the message. There are a couple of reasons why that might happen, too. One is that power to the opener is off. If the light on the opener won’t come on, that’s another thing to suggest power is the problem. Check circuit breakers to see if the power is off there. And on rare occasions something may have happened that requires your reprogramming your remote.
Other problems that typically only require minor adjustments:
- A door that doesn’t close all the way or open all the way is usually a sign that a limit switch needs to be adjusted.
- A door that opens automatically and immediately upon fully closing suggests that the close limit switch needs adjustment.
- A door that reverses before fully closing may need an adjustment of the close force switch.
- An opener motor that keeps running after the door is opened usually means a limit switch needs to be moved away from the unit.
If you’re unsure about what is causing your garage door to stick, squeak or rattle, schedule a service call with your local garage door company. A small service fee now can save you hundreds of dollars later. Garage doors are checked during your home inspection and defects in condition and operation will be noted in the report.
