10 Most Common Reasons Why Your Garage Door Won't Open

If your garage door doesn't open, there are a few potential things that could be causing the issue; sometimes it's as simple as a loose wire, whereas other times the entire garage door opener unit might need replacement – and then again, sometimes it could just be a malfunctioning or broken spring inside the garage door.

It can be frustrating, and if you're already lost as to what to do, it's usually best to call in the services of a trained and qualified local garage door service provider who can help you with any garage door spring repair that you might need.

Hiring an expert is better than trying to do any garage door repair yourself, and if you hire the best garage door company in town you can find, you have the guarantee that malfunctions won't happen again soon.

Here are the 10 most common reasons why your garage door won't open.

It's the Battery

If your garage door suddenly won't open, one of the most common causes of the issue is a battery malfunction. It's one of the easiest garage door issues to fix, common for much older garage door opener models.

If you've had a power outage for a while or you're using an older battery that's bound to have experienced some degradation over time, the issue could just be a battery that's in need of replacement, and your garage door unit will be in perfect working order again.

It's the Remote

Sometimes, when your garage door won't open it's not the battery on the garage door opener unit that's the problem, but the battery on your remote instead; have you gone a while without changing it? Have you forgotten that it's something you need to change at all? If you answered yes to either of these questions, it's likely that it could be a battery in your remote.

It's a Loose Wire Somewhere

A loose wire in the mechanics of your garage door opener can be another cause of your garage door refusing to open – and it's one of the easiest problems to fix in practice, but it can be hard to find the exact loose wire that's causing the problem. It's one of those repairs where it's better to call in the services of an expert with the equipment to find and fix the loose wire in no time.

It's a Broken Spring

Broken springs are one of the most common causes of garage door accidents and fatalities, and it's the single most common cause of garage doors refusing to open. With a broken spring, your garage door won't function the way it should at all – and it might even turn it into a potential danger since broken springs present a huge injury hazard. A simple spring replacement should be enough to fix this issue. Again, you'll want to call in the services of an expert for this.

It's an Almost Broken Spring

Springs don't have to outright break in order to malfunction. If you have a spring that's close to breaking point, it can cause the garage door system to malfunction – and at this point, your garage door might just be sticking or slowing down instead of outright stopping. Don't wait for this kind of repair: Malfunctioning springs can turn your garage door into a potential death trap, and accidents are easy to prevent with an early service before these problems become an issue.

It's a Lubrication Issue

Garage doors need lubrication just like many other moving mechanical parts like gates and padlocks; experiencing issues with rust and friction when your garage door opens is common with older garage door models, people who live in areas that are more prone to rust (such as coastal areas) or after weather exposure, which makes things more likely to rust. A simple garage door service should be enough to fix this.

The Motor Isn't Putting Out Enough Power

If your garage door is sticking, slowing down or not opening at all, it could be a garage door motor issue. Sometimes, your garage door motor might not be putting out enough power to move the door – and there are several reasons why this might happen. First, it could be that you have the wrong motor for your gate – or that there's something (like a missed connection) standing in the way of the garage motor's operation. A simple replacement should fix this.

Something Important Has Bent

If something is physically obstructing your garage door opener, or if your garage door itself has bent, then it's likely that your garage door will stop at a certain point or refuse to open at all. This is common if any physical damage has occurred to your garage doors. Depending on the damage, it can take a simple repair or complete replacement of your garage door to fix this problem.

Power outages always cause a lot of inconvenience and annoyance. Usually, the most common reasons for power outages are weather conditions or problems in the network itself. Often, it takes some time until the power is restored. One of the biggest downsides of a power outage is that all of our electrical devices stop working. This is problematic, as nowadays our lives revolve around our smart devices, which are created to simplify our everyday life.

Garage Door Maintenance Tips

The garage door is one of the most important parts of your home. Its functioning is responsible not only for your convenience but also for your safety. In addition, it is also the largest and heaviest moving mechanism in your home and something that you use several times a day, each day. That's why taking care of your garage doors is important. However, how often do we regularly check our garage doors? After all, this is something that we use every day in the morning while leaving for work and again at night when we return home. Usually, only during these situations do we pay more attention to certain malfunctions. Sometimes we just don't have enough time for immediate repairs. That is how minor breakdowns can become more serious over time. Due to improper use, the mechanism wears out and at some point, may stop working altogether. This causes not only many inconveniences but also affects the overall level of protection of your home. That is why it is so important to take care of any malfunctions your garage door has in time. In this article, we put together a garage door maintenance checklist to help you out, so keep reading!

The Anatomy Of A Standard Garage Door

It's common knowledge that a garage door consists of many interconnected components. Each of these parts ensures the operation of the entire mechanism, so it is important to understand how it works. Of course, it is not vital for you to know everything about the construction of this mechanism. For this, there are expert technicians who have experience working with garage doors. However, even having some basic knowledge will help you to recognise a door malfunction. It will also make it easier for you to quickly identify the problem and find the right solution. In this article below we will examine what is included in a garage door and why every part of it is important. Let’s start!

It's the Wrong Model Garage Door Opener

Do you have the right model of garage door opener for your needs? If you don't, it's possible that it could be the cause of your garage door refusing to open. Sometimes, the power output of the motor doesn't match the weight of the door itself, and other times, it's an older model powering a newer gate – both can cause potential issues. Here, you're looking at an upgraded replacement for the best results.

It's a Short

Electrical shorts are one of the lesser common causes of malfunctioning garage door openers, but it can be the cause behind yours if you can report a recent power surge or power outage or if you're using an older garage door opener model; sometimes physical trauma to the motor itself can also be the cause of an electrical short in the works. This sometimes takes just a quick repair to fix, but it can be temporary – and it's recommended that you replace your motor entirely if an electrical short is the cause.