Troubleshooting Issues Your Garage Door Opener

The parts that make up your garage door opener perform the crucial job of raising and lowering your garage door. It may not sound like a lot, but there are many parts that have to work together to make this possible. If a part of your garage door opener mechanism runs into trouble, it can result in odd behavior from your door, or even your door refusing to open or close. Once this happens, you’ll most likely need to call in a repair company in the Hallandale, FL area for assistance to get your garage door moving again.   

Troubleshooting the Remote Control

Most people interact with their garage door more using their remote-control opener than their wall switch because of the convenience of it and the fact that you can open the door from outside. Your garage door works by transmitting a radio signal with a code in it to your opener mechanism, which then receives the signal and opens or closes the door. Your first step if your door isn’t working when you try to use your remote control is to try to open it with your wall switch. If the wall switch operates the door normally, then your remote is most likely the problem.   

Problems that Can Affect Your Garage Door Remote Control

Old or Bad Batteries: Your next step in diagnosing the problem should be to remove the plastic cover that protects that batteries on the back of your remote. If you’ve never changed your battery or can’t remember the last time you did, you may merely need a fresh battery. Make sure to install a high-quality battery. Inspect for any signs of corrosion around the battery terminals or leaking battery acid. Clean these out with a clean, dry microfiber cloth before installing new batteries. If your remote will only close the door and not open it, or if it works sometimes but not all the time, those are signs of a weak battery. 

• Remote Needs Reprogramming: While this happens rarely, sometimes your remote can lose communication with the garage door opener or send the wrong code. This can happen if you live in a neighborhood where the houses are built close together, as all of the signals for the different garage doors can cause mixed radio transmissions. In this case, you may need to have your remote reprogrammed. 
• Check the Wiring Inside the Remote: While you have the remote open, check the wiring inside. If you find areas of damage or deterioration, that could be what’s preventing the signal from going to the receiver. Usually, this means that the remote will have to be replaced.
• Replace the Remote: If you can’t identify the cause of your remote no longer working, it’s best to replace it with a new one. It’s an inexpensive fix, and a garage door repair professional can program the new remote to work with your existing door. 

Troubleshooting the Garage Door Opener Mechanism   

Your garage door opener itself is a mechanical device that is powered by a motor. It works to lift and lower your garage door. It is made up of several different interconnected parts and resides on the ceiling of your garage. Although built to last for a long time, occasional parts can wear out or experience failures which lead to trouble operating your garage door. If your remote still works intermittently, and you’re noticing other issues with your garage door opening and closing, it could be the fault of the opener mechanism.   

Problems that Can Affect Your Garage Door Opener Mechanism   

• Problems with the Receiver Antenna: Your garage door receiver more than likely has an antenna attached to it, which is what receives the wireless signal that your remote sends. If this antenna is obstructed or not hanging freely, the signal won’t get through. Even dust or cobwebs can interfere with the performance of the antenna.    
• Shorts in the Control Panel: The garage door panel is the brain of your garage door’s operations, but it can fall prey to issues with wiring and connection failures if moisture gets inside, from pests, or other causes. If you think you’ve narrowed down the issue to a problem with the control panel, have a repair technician test the wiring and connections inside.    
• Excessive Grinding Noises: All garage doors make noise during their normal operations, to an extent. Single panel doors are generally the noisiest. However, if you notice that your garage door mechanism is making louder, unusual noises lately, such as grinding or squealing noises, it’s important to get them inspected. This generally means that the garage door opener motor is working harder than it should due to some difficulty with alignment or parts that are wearing out.   
• Issues with the Door Sensor Eyes: This usually causes your door to go down part of the way, only to stop suddenly and reverse itself for no apparent reason. The sensor eyes on your garage door are there to sense anything that is impeding the normal operation of the door. Sometimes, however, they can get dirty, scratched, or misaligned, which causes them to throw a false signal. 

Troubleshooting the exact cause of the trouble that is afflicting your garage door involves several different factors that you need to pay attention to. Pay attention to the behavior of your door, if it seems to be rattling or shaking, or if it’s making any new noises. Also pay attention to the function of your remote, if it’s not working properly, to determine the root cause of the disruption.   

If you think you’ve identified the cause of your garage door opener’s problems, or if you need help in narrowing down the source, you can put in a helpful call to Complete Garage Door Service for assistance. Whether you just want a consultation or you need an in-person service call, our experienced and professional garage door repair technicians will go the extra mile to help you. If your home is in the Hallandale, FL region, we should be your first call any time you need garage door repair or repair advice. 

24 Hour Emergency Service

Get mobile garage door repair services when you need them most

We Accept: