Professionals Explain Common Garage Door Repair Issues

You may be surprised to learn that you open and close your garage door more than 1,500 times each year on average. That is a lot of repetitive motion, lifting and lowering a heavy garage door. You will likely need to do a garage door repair or two during the life of your garage door.

Thankfully, the most common garage door problems are easy to fix. You may not need the assistance of a professional. Of course, even the highest quality garage door will likely have significant repairs that require more experience than you have at some time. In these cases, a garage door professional will be of assistance. According to professionals, here are the most common garage door repairs in Long Beach.

The Opener Switch Is Not Working

The most common repair issue for Long Beach garages is the opener switch not working. This can be frustrating because you hit the opener switch and the garage door does nothing. There are a lot of reasons why this could be happening.

The most straightforward reason is that you locked your garage door. If you turn on the lock switch, your garage door will not budge no matter how many times you push the opener button. Look for the lock button, turn it off, and then try to open the garage door again.

Another simple reason is that your garage door motor is unplugged. You usually plug in the motor next to the garage ceiling light. If it is unplugged, plug it back in. Your garage door should start working like normal.

There are also some complicated issues. For example, the photo-eye sensor of your garage door may be damaged. Or something could be causing the circuit breaker for your garage door’s motor to trip. Look at the photo-eye sensor. Make sure it is not covered by anything. Something as thin as a spiderweb could be enough to prevent it from functioning properly.

Also, check your circuit breaker to ensure that a fuse has not blown out. If you have blown a fuse, you likely won’t be able to turn on your garage light either.

A Keypad Malfunction

Many garage doors use a keypad. These are useful, but they can also malfunction.

The easiest fix is to make sure that the batteries are not dead. Replace the batteries in your keypad. Try to enter your access code again to see if it works.

An easy but slightly more complicated fix is reprogramming your keypad. Get the manual for your particular model. If you can’t remember where the manual is, look for it online. Reprogram the keypad.

If the two steps mentioned above don’t work, it might be a problem with the antenna. The antenna is the part of your motor that receives the signal from the keypad. Make sure that it is pointing straight down. If you still can’t get things to work, it is time to call a professional who specializes in garage door repairs.

The Remote Control Is Not Working

It is frustrating sitting in your car, pushing on the garage door opener remote, and not having it work, especially if it is cold outside or raining.

Nine times out of 10, the problem will be an issue with the batteries. Replace the batteries and see if that addresses the problem.

Another issue is that the remote control is out of range. Your remote control signals your garage door motor to open. If you are too far away, the signal is not strong enough to work. Try to get a little bit closer to see if that works.

If these steps fail, there may be an issue with the photo-eye sensor. Make sure that nothing is blocking it. Ensure that it is aligned with the front of the house. Clean off the lens, which might improve its signal capturing ability.

The Garage Door Won’t Open or Close

However you look at this problem, it isn’t pleasant. There are several reasons why you may be having this problem. First, make sure that the batteries are good on your keypad and remote. If all the batteries are good, look at your garage door opener unit to ensure that the lights are working. If none of these issues resolve the problem, it is time to get a professional to help diagnose what might be going wrong.

The Motor Makes Noise, but the Garage Door Doesn’t Move

You press the garage door opener button and hear the motor activate. However, the garage door does not budge.

This might indicate that the limits are off. If this happens, the garage door may open or close, but the motor continues to run after the door has stopped moving. You will need to adjust the limits to tell the engine when it should stop working.

On the other hand, if there is no door movement, this could indicate that your garage door is not connected to the belt. You will need to investigate the system and the model you have for specific instructions on reattaching the belt. This is a common problem if someone inadvertently pulls the emergency release cord.

A Garage Door Repair That Makes a Lot of Noise

Your garage door is going to make a little bit of noise. There are moving parts and friction involved. However, if your garage door makes a ton of noise, it indicates a problem that needs to be addressed.

Lubrication is easy. If your garage door is squeaking, you may need to lubricate your rollers. Or they might be worn out completely and require some repair. You want to use a silicone-based lubricant. Or call a technician to replace the rollers.

If you hear a rattling sound, it is an indication that something in the garage mechanism is loose. Ensure that all bolts and screws are tightened, which should fix the problem.

If you hear a popping noise, there might be an issue with the torsion springs. If they get loose or not correctly lubricated, they might make a popping sound as the door opens and closes. You should use extra caution if you are considering replacing the torsion springs. They can be extremely dangerous and should usually only be handled by professionals.

Professional Garage Door Repair

These are the most common problems garage doors Long Beach professionals find. You can avoid many of these problems with proper maintenance and upkeep. The goal is to keep your garage door functioning properly for as long as possible.