Troubleshooting Tips - DIY
Garage door problems? The largest moving appliance in your household. Most of us take them for granted until they don't work. There are dangers where components are under extreme tension and serious injury can happen to the untrained. Follow these simple steps to determine if professional help is needed.
Garage door will not open?
- if operator makes no sound with no lights- check your power supply/breakers
- this is an easy one but many people find that someone has pulled the rope to disconnect door from operator and they don't know how to re-engage it. Simply check that arm the rope is connected to has returned to the 'up' position by pulling again or pushing the arm up. This will allow the door to re-engage with the operator.
- if operator makes noise but door does not move - release door from operator by pulling the rope hanging near the door. If operator then moves the door is the problem and is likely a broken spring. The springs are located horizontally above the door and will show a 2 - 3" gap in the coils if you have a break. If operator does not move but door can be opened by hand then your operator is faulty. Call for 24/7 service. Springs are dangerous to handle and should be done only by qualified technicians.
Wall button works but not remote - check remote control batteries
- Remote works but not wall button - check for damage or broken wiring to wall button
- Cold temperatures? Garage doors can freeze to the ground in certain circumstances especially in Whistler.
Garage door will not close
- Operator lights flash but door does not close - check your photo eyes for alignment. These are located on both sides of your garage door opening about 15cm from the floor. If they are blocked, dirty or misaligned they will not let your door close. Check, correct and retry. If still not closing and there are no obstructions try holding the wall button in to override the photo eyes.
- Still not working? - try pulling down on the door when the button is pushed being careful not to stand under the door or block the photo eyes. Do not put your fingers in or near the gaps in the door as there is a severe pinching hazard!
Door reverses on closing
- Check photo eyes as described above
- Minor adjustments can be made to most operators to the opening or closing force/torque. On the operator itself there will be dials to adjust these forces. This will tell the operator how hard to push to open or close the door. Keep in mind that too much force can be dangerous in case of human or pet entrapment. Try increasing the down force until the door completes its cycle. This is a good time to schedule a service to determine why the door behavior has changed.
Door stops on opening
- Possible broken spring - Observe spring - Call for repair.
- Up force adjustment see above
- We have seen instances where a couple of people have lifted doors open with the help of the operator to allow their vehicles out but this can be dangerous.
Door does not close or open completely
- Travel adjustments - Dials are usually present on most modern day operators to adjust travel limits for the open position and the close position. Make sure to adjust in small increments and monitor carefully as door damage can occur if excessive adjustments are made. Other factors may be affecting your doors travel.
Remote controls
- Remote does not work or range is reduced - Radio frequency interference could be the culprit or you may just need a new battery. Look for a small battery hatch on the back or pull out the visor clip and look for a small screw to open the back cover. If no screw exists a small screwdriver may be used to pry open the remote. Exchange battery with a new one observing proper polarity. If remote still does not work it may need to be recoded. Dipswitch type remotes will match the switch setting with a receiver in or near the operator. Newer type remotes since the early 1990's may be learn type remotes. Look for a learn button on the operator. Push and release learn button the press remote button and hold for 3 seconds. Coding should be complete and door should start to move. Some brands have a more complicated coding procedure and can be looked up on the internet. Also check position of your antenna on the operator. This will be a wire 20 - 30 cm on the operator hanging out the back usually.
- New remotes are available through Canadian Tire, Rona or Home Depot. Take your old one along and try for a Brand match and avoid the universal ones if possible as a lot of our clients have trouble with those. We also offer this service.
Remember the Canadian Door Institute recommends yearly servicing on all automatic residential door systems.
Commercial systems should be serviced every 3-6 months according to usage<
