Some problems with an automatic garage door will require the services of a professional, whereas other problems may be small things that you can actually address on your own. Before you call for repair or service, note the top reasons why your automatic garage door doesn't work; even if you can't fix these problems yourself, it can be good to know what to expect by way of repairs.
1. The transmitter is being activated
If a garage door opens and closes on its own, the first thing to check is if the transmitter is being used inadvertently. Do you have the opener in a handbag or under some papers on a table? If so, the button might be depressed randomly. The garage door may also be programmed to the same frequency as a neighbor's door or their transmitter, so try having the frequency reprogrammed. Your door's owner's manual can usually walk you through those steps.
2. The disconnect switch has been activated or unhooked
If you notice that the opener seems to hum so that it's getting power but the door doesn't move, look for what is called the disconnect switch. This switch can be activated to allow you to open and close the door manually without interference from the transmitter or automatic opener. Reference your owner's manual again to find out where the switch is and note if it's been activated. If so, your automatic opener won't work, so turn it off and try the transmitter again.
Another possibility is that the cable or wiring attached to the disconnect switch has become inadvertently unhooked. Your owner's manual can show you where the cable is located and you can note if it's been detached. If this happens, the garage door won't automatically open and close, as it may have a safety features that keeps it from operating without that cable in place. Put the cable back into place and note if the transponder then works.
3. Wiring
Wiring issues can be to blame for the door simply not working at all; if you don't notice any type of hum from the unit so you know it's not getting power, this is often a short in the wiring or frayed wires that are not providing power as they should. If you didn't upgrade your home's wiring when you had the new garage door installed, they may have been overloaded and then become frayed. You can test the garage door unit yourself with a voltage meter, or call for garage door service and have this done by a professional.
Share19 October 2015
Welcome to my blog. My name is Colin, and I work in a library in a small town. As we don't have a lot of patrons, we have a lot of downtime, and I am allowed to read during that time if no shelving needs to be done. Fiction was my first love, but over years at the library, I have delved into a range of other topics, including ones I thought would never interest me. In particular, I have done a lot of reading on garage doors, which is a surprisingly interesting topic. I wanted to create a blog so decided to throw my focus there. I hope you like these tips and ideas on garage doors and that they help you.