Three Easy Ways To Troubleshoot A Garage Door

When your garage door breaks down, you can rush out of your house only to find that your car is stuck in your garage. While a malfunctioning garage door can be intimidating, you can often get your garage door working again if you simply take a little time to troubleshoot it. 

Openers

Garage door remotes can wear out, but they can also simply run out of batteries. It sounds like a little thing, but when you push the button on your trusty remote and nothing happens, it is easy to assume that you have a big problem, but before you call a repair technician, run into your house and push the wall button. If your door opens, try changing the batteries. If that doesn't work, it is probably time to order a new remote. 

Rails

If you get debris stuck in your garage door rails, it can cause your garage door to get stuck partly open. The problem is that a garage door motor does not have much more power than what is required to lift your door. Thus, a bundle of leaves can cause your garage door to get jammed. To get your door working, all you have to do is clear the debris. 

If you have bent rails, the bend can pinch the wheels on your garage door and prevent them from opening all the way. If you simply start hammering on your rails, you can create new dents that will be hard to get out. To protect your rails, place a block of wood against the rails to spread the blow from your hammer over a greater area and prevent dents. 

Obstruction Sensors

Newer garage doors will have obstruction sensors that prevent the door from closing on pets, children, or cars. If these sensors can get bumped, they can get knocked out of alignment, which will cause the sensors to malfunction and prevent your door from closing even if there is nothing in the way. In order to get your door working again, you will need to gently maneuver one of the sensors until the alignment light starts glowing. 

These are just a few of the ways that even a homeowner who is not handy with tools can get their garage door working again. It will only take a little time to check out these various components of your garage door and make sure everything is working just right. Save yourself some money and troubleshoot your garage door before you call in reinforcements. 

If you need professional help with your garage door, contact a company such as A & J Garage Door Inc.

About Me

Getting the Right Garage Door Guy

One of the many things that needed some attention when we moved into our first home recently was the garage door. Modern garage doors have engines, sensors, and can be a bit complicated to deal with on your own. In some situations, as was the case with ours, you may find yourself shopping for a new door for your garage. In other situations, you may simply need a qualified professional to come diagnose the problem and perform a repair or maintenance. Either way, this blog is here to help educate home owners on the basics of maintaining a garage door.