Common Reasons Why Your Garage Won’t Open

Technically Reviewed by Oleg Chudnovski on Nov 21, 2023 | Written by Fix Appliances CA Editorial Contributors

A functional garage door is crucial for most homeowners because it talks about security (avoid becoming a target for burglars), convenience (entering and exiting your house at ease and safer), and protection (from such things as rain, wind, and snow that may damage the house).

When your garage door doesn’t close or open, this may be frustrating and inconvenient, including leaving or entering the house, delaying important appointments, and even leaving you stranded inside or outside your home. Moreover, even if you know how to open the garage door manually, this may cause injury or damage to your car and family members.

Thus, remember that regular maintenance and timely repairs will help ensure your garage door stays functional and reliable. However, if you notice any matters with your garage door, address quick fix promptly to prevent further damage and inconvenience to qualified and experienced specialists at Fix Garage Doors CA.

Why My Garage Door Won’t Open or Close

When we talk about a garage door that may not be opening or closing properly, we should pay attention to several things as dead batteries in the garage door remote control or keypad that will not allow the garage door opener to receive the signal to open or close, including no green light on it, faulty door rollers, obstructed photo-eye sensors, garage door cables break, broken or damaged springs that won’t allow lift and lower the garage door becoming too heavy for the opener, disconnected opener from the power, track alignment issues that will be the reason for not opening the garage door or closing smoothly and garage door motor problems that can be resolved only by pros.

If you have no idea what is wrong with your garage door, the best you can do is to contact a professional garage door team for diagnosis and repairs. If you attempt to fix it by yourself, this could cause further damage or injury.

The Most Widely Spread Causes Why a Garage Door Won’t Open or Close

Our technicians have singled out the most common issues why won’t my garage door open all the way:

1. 1. No power source
   2. Keypad or remote control batteries are dead (including the circuit breaker issue)
   3. Misaligned or blocked photo-eye sensor
   4. Broken or damaged springs
   5. The garage door openers are disconnected
   6. Door track problems
   7. The garage door opener’s motor issues

Many common garage door problems can be eliminated by yourself, but it doesn’t mean you can fix them safely. Most door issues are certain to require specific tools and knowledge, skills and experience, address professional garage door experts to inspect the door and its parts, and define the issue and repairs. This will save not only your time but money, and you will be able to receive a warranty for the job and replacement parts.

Four Common Garage Door Reasons Why Garage Door Won’t Open

Having more than seventeen years of garage door repair and installation, we will go over common reasons you may face in this article. Let’s consider the four main reasons why the garage door opens or closes slowly or won’t do this at all.

• Dead Batteries in the Remote Controls or Keypad

Keypads and remote controls are accessories which are used to operate different garage doors. They provide easy garage access instead of manually opening and closing the door. Besides, they increase security by limiting access without the remote control or the correct code. When the old batteries are dead, there is no communication with the door opener that won’t allow the garage door to close or open. Thus, checking and replacing it with new batteries is crucial to ensure the proper garage door works.

Having a low transmitter batteries indicator, it will be the best decision to replace the batteries before they die completely. Strictly follow the information from the owner’s manual to avoid any mistakes when replacing the specific remote control model. But if you replace them and the remote or keypad still doesn’t work, the problem can be larger than expected. In this case, the aid of professional service technicians will be great. Contact a garage door specialist for assistance.

• Blocked Photo-Eye Sensors

Safety or photo-eye sensors working along with the garage door help avoid closing if there is an object or a person in the door’s path. These sensors consist of two electronic devices attached to each side of the door and installed above the floor at a few inches in height. If you have an old garage door or do not have safety sensors, it is time to contact a professional technician for installation to secure your home and family. Besides, you should occasionally clean them of debris and dirt to ensure the proper work.

However, the garage door may not open even if they are dirty or their view is blocked by something. To communicate with each other, a clear line of sight between them must ensure no objects are in their path. Otherwise, the door opener won’t receive the remote signal that the way is clear and stop operating. You should check the photo-eyes and clean them to ensure they are restraints-free.

Contact our team if you notice any signs of damage, cracking, or broken cable. If yes, these devices must be replaced only by certified garage door technicians.

If you decide to clean and adjust by yourself, follow the instructions in the owner’s manual for your specific model. But if you have any concerns regarding your skills or encounter difficulties, contact us for replacement services from Monday to Sunday, and you will be satisfied with the work done properly.

• Broken Torsion Spring

We want to pay special attention to springs due to their heavy lifting force and constant high pressure, making them dangerous when damaged or broken. A torsion spring is used in the garage door system to help lift the door. These springs are an important component in the door operation: raising and lowering.
If the spring is damaged or worn out, your door won’t operate properly or may not open. Thus, it is vital to inspect and maintain the springs by qualified and knowledgeable garage door experts to confirm their working conditions and not put yourself and your family at risk.

Consider the fact that the springs are under significant tension. They can no longer provide the lifting force necessary to lift the garage door when they break. If you try to open the door with a broken spring, this may be hazardous and damage the door and garage door opener.

If you are unsure about its condition and think it is broken or can’t open or close the door, address this issue to the pros to diagnose the system and request repair services. If springs are not maintained regularly and handled properly, they can cause serious injury. This job may be extremely dangerous and must be done only by prepared and highly-trained technicians.

All professional garage door technicians at Fix Garage Doors CA have the necessary skills, experience, knowledge, tools, and equipment to replace torsion springs correctly and safely. Always trust torsion spring replacement to the professional team.

• Disconnected Garage Door Track

The other crucial part of any garage door assembly is the tracks. Made of metal and installed on the sides of a garage door, garage door tracks consist of vertical tracks and horizontal bars. The first runs along each side, and the second connects the vertical track to the top of the garage door opening.

Over time, the tracks may turn out to be bent, inadvertently pulled, misaligned and damaged, leading to improper operation or becoming stuck. Remember that regular inspection and maintenance by a service person will prevent these problems and ensure the proper and smooth work of the garage door.

When tracks are disconnected, they won’t move up and down. Our experienced technicians can define several reasons: the impact of a vehicle or other objects, wear and tear over time, or incorrect installation. All these should be addressed to the specialists to avoid further, more serious damage.

Thus, if you face the problem of disconnected garage door tracks, contact the knowledgeable team at Fix Garage Doors CA to inspect the entire system and make repairs. We do not advise homeowners to repair the tracks independently to prevent damage to a garage door opener or motor unit. Using specialized equipment and having many years of experience, we are ready to reconnect or replace safely and properly.

Garage Door Opener Repair

When you notice a malfunctioning garage door opener, it will be better to contact the garage experts for inspection and garage door opener repair, including replacing the garage door opener, due to the complexity and potential danger of this task.

However, following these few steps may greatly help troubleshoot and resolve some common issues with your garage door opener. You will manage to avoid bigger damages and breakdowns:

Remember, tread carefully while working with garage door openers. If you do not know how to proceed with your door working properly, or you don’t have enough knowledge and skills, do not put yourself at risk and call for a professional to inspect and make diagnostics and repairs.

Fix Garage Doors CA – Your Professional Garage Door Company in Toronto and the GTA

Having listed the most outstretched problems that may cause the door not to open or close properly, we would like to underline that garage door professionals can do this easily and in no time. Fix Garage Doors CA is a team of professionals who are ready to find the problem, offer the solution for your garage door repair and do this correctly, safely and at an affordable price.

Besides, our team provides garage door and door opener installation in Toronto and GTA. You get customer satisfaction and a warranty on all labour services and parts by receiving our services. We are available seven days a week, and our friendly customer support will gladly help you and schedule the most convenient time for a first visit.

Do not hesitate to call us at 905-247-6699 or submit a quote online, and you are sure to get a well-done job and enjoy our work quality. All problems with the functionality of your garage door will be resolved on a same-day basis.