Most Common Reasons Why Your Garage Door Won’t Open

Many people have no idea why their garage door refuses to open one day. Some people tell us that the garage door was working fine in the morning when they left, but now that they have returned from work, it will not open. Fortunately, the problem isn’t difficult to fix once you identify what’s wrong. So, that’s exactly what we’ll attempt to explain in this article.

The Photo Eye is Blocked

Garage doors manufactured in the past 20 years have a safety device referred to as a photo-eye, which is responsible for detecting if something is in the path of the door. The photo-eye is located around 4 inches off the ground and is the size of a pea. The eye has a laser running across it, and if that laser is interrupted, it cuts the signal to the opener, stopping it from lowering or raising.

You will want to check and see if the cord that’s attached to the photo-eye is damaged or cut. Leaks, rainstorms, and even rodents can cut the wire. You should also clean the photo-eye as dirt and dust can obstruct the view of the eye.

An issue with the Operator’s Power Source

You may have just unplugged the power source and now wondering why the garage door opener won’t work. So, you’ll want to make sure that the Garage Door Opener is plugged in properly. If it then check your outlet to see if it is delivering current. Also, make sure to check the associated circuit breaker, GFCI, or fuse.

The Garage Door’s Torsion Spring is Broken

The breaking of a torsion spring is often accompanied by a loud bang a lot like a gunshot so it is hard to miss. All springs have a certain number of cycles beyond which they are living on borrowed time. Unfortunately, when most clients complain that their garage door won’t open, the culprit is often a broken spring. If you have a broken torsion spring, don’t try to open the door yourself because it can be dangerous. Make sure to call professionals like us to handle it.

Cables May Have Snapped

Cables have known to become disengaged, similar to almost any other electronic item. When the Torsion Spring Breaks, the garage door cable may also consequently snap. The cable could also cause damage to your vehicle or the adjacent wall or even a person. If you see that the cable has, in fact, snapped, then make sure to call a professional and don’t attempt to fix it yourself.

Sensitivity Settings are Out

This issue can happen with most new and even older garage doors. If the sensitivity setting is set to too low, or if it is too high, the garage door will not budge. So, you’ll want to reset the setting. The close force and limit switch can help you correct the levels.