Troubleshooting Common Garage Door Opener Issues

​We are frequently asked for advice and feedback on issues homeowners experience with their garage door openers.  These can range from the everyday, simple issues to the downright strange problems.  For purposes of this article, we are going to cover some of the most common issues.
 
What are these issues and how can I resolve them?
 
1.My garage door won’t stay down
 
In this scenario, the garage door travels toward the down position, but goes back up after it makes contact with the floor/ground.
 
This most often happens because the garage door opener “limits” are not set correctly or they have fallen out of calibration 

over time.  The limits are set to control the position where the garage door stops when it is traveling downward toward the floor and also where the garage door stops when it is traveling upward toward the open position.
 
This is a simple fix most of the time and only requires a resetting and adjustment of the limits.  Limits are typically set by using buttons on the back of the opener head.  Each manufacturer uses it’s own method to set limits, so refer to your owner’s manual, contact the manufacturer, or contact a reputable local service company if you want assistance with this.
 
2.My garage door won’t go down
 
This problem occurs when the garage door starts to travel toward the down position, but stops and returns to the open position before making contact with the floor/ground. 
 
The most common cause of this is something interfering with the safety beam transmitted between the photocells.  This is a safety feature to prevent the door from hitting a car, person, or another object in the way of the door. 
 
This can also happen if the photocells are defective, damaged, dirty, or misaligned.
 
Start by checking the area around the path of the garage door to ensure that there isn’t an obstruction causing the photocells to stop the door.  If there isn’t anything in the way, check the photocells for signs of dirt, damage, or misalignment.  You can also check the wiring coming from the photocells to determine if there appears to be a damaged or broken connection.  If the photocell lenses are dirty, clean them off with a damp paper towel or cloth.  If the photocells are misaligned, try aligning them so that they point at each other directly.  If either the photocells or the wiring is damaged (e.g., someone ran a car or bicycle into one), they will need to be replaced.
 
If none of these things appear to be causing the issue, it’s possible there is a defect with the circuit board and it might be time to contact a qualified service company for assistance.
 
3.The garage door will open and close if I use the wall button, but not with the remote
 
If the garage door opener is working, but the remote is not, the most likely culprit is a dead battery in the remote.  The easiest thing to do here is replace the battery and see if that solves the problem.
 
If replacing the battery does not solve the problem, the least expensive next step is to replace the remote.  A local garage door service company can likely help with this and there are many online retailers that can likely supply this if you know what remote you need.  Most of the time, just searching for the same model you have is just fine.
 
If you decide to purchase the remote from an online source, you will need to take the lead on programming the remote yourself.  Most remotes come with instructions on how to do this and the process is typically very straightforward.
 
If these steps don’t resolve the issue, there could be a problem with the garage door opener itself.  The radio receiver unit inside the garage door opener head might not be receiving the signal from the remote, which could be caused by an issue with one or more of the internal electronic components.  This would require a service call to have a qualified technician assess the issue and make a recommendation for repair or replacement.
 
Now that you are armed with the information in this article, you can better understand three common issues with garage door openers and know what steps can be taken to resolve these issues.  Although we did not talk about how certain weather phenomenon can affect your garage door opener, we will be covering this is a separate article.
 
We have qualified service technicians on staff should you need assistance with your garage door opener or garage door, so please contact us today!