AHWATUKEE GARAGE DOOR REPAIR: HOW TO TROUBLESHOOT PROBLEMS WITH GARAGE DOOR OPENERS

You have been looking forward to a relaxing weekend, but alas that’s not in the stars. As you pull into your driveway and hit the button on your opener’s remote, you quickly discover that there is an issue with your garage door opener. Sigh. Another issue to deal with. Lucky for you, you may be able to troubleshoot issues on your own. Keep reading for some pointers on how to troubleshoot common problems that may arise with your garage door opener. Don’t worry, these tips are easier than you may think!

Check Your Door

With the garage door closed, unplug your automatic opener (or pull your emergency release cord). Now, see how the door operates manually. Does the door open and close smoothly? If not, then you may have an issue with your springs, tracks or rollers – and not with your opener.

 

Issues with your remote

So, your wall switch is doing exactly what is supposed to do – opening and closing your garage door. If only you could say the same about your remote!  When you press the button, the door does nothing. It just stays put like a stubborn ant on a log (a 250lb ant that is). So what’s the issue? The door is clearly in proper working order as you have figured out from using the wall switch. Lucky for you, this may be something as simple as replacing the battery in your remote control unit. If that doesn’t work, there may be a short in your remote. But you’ll find that most home stores carry various models of garage door opener remotes. If you can’t find your particular brand – there are also universal remotes that may do the trick for you. Crisis averted.

 

The will go up, but will only come down when you press and hold the wall switch

If your garage door goes up correctly, but will only come down if you hold down the wall switch, this may point to an issue with your sensors. Do a quick check to make sure that the wall sensors are aligned correctly. The small lights on the sensors should be lit up when nothing is between them. Keep in mind, direct sunlight shining on the sensors can make them malfunction. Also, just like any other piece of equipment, the sensors do go bad and may need replacing altogether. If you notice that there is no light coming from your sensors, they may need to be replaced.

 

Garage door reverses on its own

If when you click the button to drop the garage door down, and it starts down the track then suddenly reverses and goes back up – this may also be an issue with the sensors. Give it a check – is there something blocking the sensor beams? If so, this is giving the sensors the impression that there is someone/thing there, and the sensors are working correctly by reversing the door. Clear the debris and try again – the door should operate correctly.

However, if your press the button to close the door, it closes all the way, and then starts reversing – this would point to another issue. The travel limits or force limits may be set up incorrectly, or you could be dealing with damaged tracks.

 

Garage door works intermittently

If your garage door opener seems to work when it feels like it, that is definitely an annoying issue. Perhaps in the morning it is working fine, but suddenly in the evening, the garage door is not responding correctly. This issue may be due to radio interference. Many of your household items operate using a radio frequency (such as your yard lights, ham radio and other electrical equipment). From time to time, the frequencies from these items can interfere with the proper operation of your garage door opener. To test if this is the issue, use your remote while standing close to the motor unit. If the garage door opener works correctly – then radio interference may be to blame. To troubleshoot this issue, you will have to find the source of the radio interruption, and either move it or turn it off.

 

Garage door opens and closes by itself

No, there is not a ghost in the machine. If your garage door opens and closes on its own, the cause may be fairly straight forward. A common cause may be that a neighbor has programmed their remote at the same time as yours. To troubleshoot this issue, erase all codes from your remote and reprogram it. If that doesn’t fix the issue, you may be dealing with a wiring issue. Check the wiring between the wall control and the motor unit. Faulty wiring can cause a short, which could result in the garage door opening and closing without being triggered. Another cause of this may be a defective wall unit, which would then need to be replaced.

 

Broken Springs

If your garage door will not go up, and you’ve checked the remote and motor (and found them in proper working condition) the issue may be broken springs. If you happen to be home at the time the springs break, you may hear a loud bang. The springs that hold up your garage door are working under a lot of tension, and the springs are actually what bear the load of the garage door. Doors come with one or two springs (torsion springs). If either spring breaks, the garage door opener may not be able to lift the weight of the door. Spring issues should only be fixed by a professional, so if this is the issue you’re dealing with, it is best to call a professional.

 

Hopefully this list can help you to troubleshoot minor issues that may arise with your garage door. Please remember, while some issues are fine for you to deal with on your own (changing batteries in your remote), other issues require the assistance of a professional (broken springs).  If you in the Ahwatukee, Arizona area and need help with your garage door opener, please give us a call at Ahwatukee Garage Door Repair. Our qualified technicians would be happy to help you.

 

AHWATUKEE GARAGE DOOR REPAIR: HOW TO TROUBLESHOOT PROBLEMS WITH GARAGE DOOR OPENERS

You have been looking forward to a relaxing weekend, but alas that’s not in the stars. As you pull into your driveway and hit the button on your opener’s remote, you quickly discover that there is an issue with your garage door opener. Sigh. Another issue to deal with. Lucky for you, you may be able to troubleshoot issues on your own. Keep reading for some pointers on how to troubleshoot common problems that may arise with your garage door opener. Don’t worry, these tips are easier than you may think!

 

Check Your Door

With the garage door closed, unplug your automatic opener (or pull your emergency release cord). Now, see how the door operates manually. Does the door open and close smoothly? If not, then you may have an issue with your springs, tracks or rollers – and not with your opener.

 

Issues with your remote

So, your wall switch is doing exactly what is supposed to do – opening and closing your garage door. If only you could say the same about your remote!  When you press the button, the door does nothing. It just stays put like a stubborn ant on a log (a 250lb ant that is). So what’s the issue? The door is clearly in proper working order as you have figured out from using the wall switch. Lucky for you, this may be something as simple as replacing the battery in your remote control unit. If that doesn’t work, there may be a short in your remote. But you’ll find that most home stores carry various models of garage door opener remotes. If you can’t find your particular brand – there are also universal remotes that may do the trick for you. Crisis averted.

 

The will go up, but will only come down when you press and hold the wall switch

If your garage door goes up correctly, but will only come down if you hold down the wall switch, this may point to an issue with your sensors. Do a quick check to make sure that the wall sensors are aligned correctly. The small lights on the sensors should be lit up when nothing is between them. Keep in mind, direct sunlight shining on the sensors can make them malfunction. Also, just like any other piece of equipment, the sensors do go bad and may need replacing altogether. If you notice that there is no light coming from your sensors, they may need to be replaced.

 

Garage door reverses on its own

If when you click the button to drop the garage door down, and it starts down the track then suddenly reverses and goes back up – this may also be an issue with the sensors. Give it a check – is there something blocking the sensor beams? If so, this is giving the sensors the impression that there is someone/thing there, and the sensors are working correctly by reversing the door. Clear the debris and try again – the door should operate correctly.

However, if your press the button to close the door, it closes all the way, and then starts reversing – this would point to another issue. The travel limits or force limits may be set up incorrectly, or you could be dealing with damaged tracks.

 

Garage door works intermittently

If your garage door opener seems to work when it feels like it, that is definitely an annoying issue. Perhaps in the morning it is working fine, but suddenly in the evening, the garage door is not responding correctly. This issue may be due to radio interference. Many of your household items operate using a radio frequency (such as your yard lights, ham radio and other electrical equipment). From time to time, the frequencies from these items can interfere with the proper operation of your garage door opener. To test if this is the issue, use your remote while standing close to the motor unit. If the garage door opener works correctly – then radio interference may be to blame. To troubleshoot this issue, you will have to find the source of the radio interruption, and either move it or turn it off.

 

Garage door opens and closes by itself

No, there is not a ghost in the machine. If your garage door opens and closes on its own, the cause may be fairly straight forward. A common cause may be that a neighbor has programmed their remote at the same time as yours. To troubleshoot this issue, erase all codes from your remote and reprogram it. If that doesn’t fix the issue, you may be dealing with a wiring issue. Check the wiring between the wall control and the motor unit. Faulty wiring can cause a short, which could result in the garage door opening and closing without being triggered. Another cause of this may be a defective wall unit, which would then need to be replaced.

 

Broken Springs

If your garage door will not go up, and you’ve checked the remote and motor (and found them in proper working condition) the issue may be broken springs. If you happen to be home at the time the springs break, you may hear a loud bang. The springs that hold up your garage door are working under a lot of tension, and the springs are actually what bear the load of the garage door. Doors come with one or two springs (torsion springs). If either spring breaks, the garage door opener may not be able to lift the weight of the door. Spring issues should only be fixed by a professional, so if this is the issue you’re dealing with, it is best to call a professional.

 

Hopefully this list can help you to troubleshoot minor issues that may arise with your garage door. Please remember, while some issues are fine for you to deal with on your own (changing batteries in your remote), other issues require the assistance of a professional (broken springs).  If you in the Ahwatukee, Arizona area and need help with your garage door opener, please give us a call at Ahwatukee Garage Door Repair. Our qualified technicians would be happy to help you.

How Your Garage Door Can Be Dangerous

If you use your garage door every day, several times a day, you might not take into consideration how dangerous your garage door can be. There are simply some things that we take for granted because we assume they will always be there; working the way they should. If you do not take into consideration some of the things that can happen to you, you might not realize just how dangerous it can be if you do not take the time to consider some of the dangers that you might experience when you have a garage door. A responsible homeowner considers everything that can lead to harm coming to their family. You might be surprised to know that there are thousands of incidents related to garage doors. Some fatalities have even occurred. This is because there are many different parts to your garage door. The motorized pieces can be very dangerous. If you at least know a little bit about the components of your garage door, you can avoid some of the tragedies that can occur with your garage door.

Be Aware of Garage Door Dangers

So if you are not already familiar with some of the dangers that exist due to problems with your garage door, we are here to tell you about some of the most common dangers. The best person suited to make you aware of these dangers is someone who has to deal with them on a regular basis, a garage door service, such as Ahwatukee Garage Door Repair.

Do It Yourself Garage Door Installation

If you do not have professional training to effectively install a garage door, this is a job that is best to leave to those with the proper training. If the garage door is not installed correctly, you can start to have all sorts of problems. One of the worst things that can happen is the door can fall down. Since garage doors are so heavy, they can cause you serious injury or even kill you. Installing the door without the experience needed may result in your garage door having loose springs; your injuring yourself during the installation of the door or the door being off track. You can avoid this by allowing a professional garage door service to install the door for you. Save yourself the headache and frustration from having a door that could stop working if you don’t have it properly installed by relying on a professional service provider.

Broken Garage Door Springs 

If you lack the skills needed to properly install your garage door, you may not install the springs properly. This is one of the most important features of your garage door. It is the springs that enable the door to remain in place as you go in and out of the garage. If they break, this can be extremely dangerous to anyone in the garage when this occurs. If you do not have the training needed to handle the installation of your garage door springs it is best to leave this to someone who has the ability to correctly and safely handle the job for you. We’re not talking about having a friend of the family who says they can handle the job, taking on this responsibility; we are suggesting that you allow a garage door service to handle this for you.

Allowing Children to Play with the Door

Children are fascinated by things that move. This is no different when it comes to your garage doors. When they see them go up and down, it only entices them even more. When the control box is installed to close to where they can reach it, they will be able to gain access to the garage. Children who play with the controls on your garage door remote or wall control may get trapped and can even seriously harm themselves. Since the door is so heavy, some are even killed by the weight of a fallen garage door. The worst part is that they may be the ones that caused such a tragedy.

Avoid the Dangers from a Garage Door

When you have a garage door there is a way to avoid the dangers that can occur. One of the best and effective ways to avoid the dangers that can happen from a garage door is to hire a professional garage door service to handle the maintenance of your door. What they will do is perform routine maintenance on your door. With routine maintenance they are able to find any problems that you may have, which need to be address in order to avoid the dangers that occur with a faulty garage door. The reason that many dangers exist is because homeowners are not aware of the trouble they have with their garage door. When you are aware of any problems that you have or may experience, you can address the problem right away. Getting ahead of the problem will help you avoid many of the dangers listed above. When you are having regular routine maintenance performed, you are making sure that your door never falls down because a professional garage door service will make sure they check the springs of your door. They will know how they are supposed to look and this will help you avoid the problem of experiencing broken springs. Get them fixed as soon as you are told that there is a problem with your springs. If you really want to be able to avoid the dangers that can occur from a garage door, you can by being proactive. Seek out the services of a local reputable and efficient locksmith service. Making sure that you can avoid the incidents that happen due to faulty garage doors benefits everyone in the family whether they drive or not. Any time you you’re using the garage, whether you’re driving or not can still prove dangerous if your garage door is not serviced regularly. Get the help you need today by contacting a local service provider today.