One of the most common issues that a homeowner will encounter with their garage door is that it does not close correctly. It could be that it starts to close, stops and starts again, or the garage door might close all the way down and then it goes back up again into the open position. It might not even close at all forcing the homeowner to close the door manually. In this blog, we will address a few reasons this might be happening and we will hopefully be able to shed some light on troubleshooting the problem.
1. An object may be blocking the path of the photo eye sensors of the garage door opener. There is a safety mechanism which is an electric sensor that senses potential obstructions in the path of the garage door and will prevent the door from closing to avoid possible injury. Check to make sure that there is nothing obstructing the sensor and remove anything that could potentially get in the way of the sensor, like a garage bin, toys, equipment, etc. Debris, dust or even cobweb would affect the sensor from working properly.
2. The Photo Eye Sensors of the door opener may be misaligned. If you have unblocked the sensor but the door is still not closing properly, then it could be a misalignment issue. Drastic temperature change from hot climates to cold can cause the metal brackets and tracks that hold the door in place to expand and contract depending on the climate and can eventually cause misalignment. Once these tracks and brackets are misaligned, it will be difficult to get that garage door to close.
3. Not enough lubrication could be another reason that the door is not responding correctly. The garage door could just simply refuse to close or moves very slow and could even get stuck or make a very loud noise every time it opens and closes. That could be a sign that it may be a lack of lubrication. When the weather gets colder or if the door has some age to it or even if the door has not been properly maintained on a regular basis, the gears and mechanisms that operate the garage door can get dry and rusty, causing them to stick, jam, and become extremely noisy.
The garage door is one of the largest moving objects in a home and because of its size and weight, extreme caution should be taken to maintain safe operation.
Remember, when in doubt, consult a professional. More home safety information and maintenance information is available on our website at www.worcesterdoor.com
