One in every four Americans admits that their garages are messy and cluttered. According to the Wall Street Journal, most garages in the United States are so disorganized they can’t fit even one car. Most Americans consider a garage as a critical added advantage when settling for a house.
But, apart from providing parking space, the garage has also become a default storage option in most homes. With such extents of activity around your garage, your door is inevitably susceptible to constant damages. There are several garage door problems and repairs that you should know.
If you’d like to learn more, read on.
1. The Garage Door Opener Failure
Nothing is more frustrating than a faulty garage door opener. Yet, this is a common concern in most home settings. It could either be that your garage door won’t open at all, or that even when it opens, it doesn’t open all the way. When the automatic garage door opener is in good shape but the door doesn’t move, it could be due to rusted or damaged rollers.
Most homeowners underestimate the importance of examining the rollers and tracks often. You probably don’t remember the last time you cleaned these critical components of the garage door. But with a proper brushing and recurrent lubrication, instances of garage door faults when opening may reduce significantly.
If you are encountering trouble when opening your garage door, it’s most likely a result of a mechanical fault. You may consider lubricating the rollers and tracks to ensure they function correctly. But in other cases, there may be need to replace your rollers or to clean the axles.
You can apply a generous amount of lubricants (silicon-based are most preferred) to reduce friction. Lubrication is the most common troubleshooting option for dummies. But it is the ultimate solution in cases where the garage door components are threadbare.
If your rollers, axles or tracks are worn out, undertaking DIY options is not advisable. You may need to consider the input of an expert with the capacity to replace, lubricate and restate your garage door back to functional order.
2. When the Garage Door Won’t Close Completely
Trouble closing the garage system is the other common concern you are likely to encounter. You may have noted instances where the door starts to close but ends up jamming along the way. In other cases, the garage door won’t close at all.
Several reasons may lead to this scenario.
You ought to check the safety sensors first. These safety sensors are prone to blocks in between them, which often leads to such jams. The sensors are electric eyes that require a clear line of sight between them to work correctly. Testing the sensors may require a specialist who can assess the system for any faults or alignment-related concerns.
You should then check to see if the rollers are in perfect working conditions. Having trouble closing these doors may be a result of rusty rollers. Depending on the extent of rusting, you may either decide to clean then lubricate. As noted, previously, replacing the rollers may be the ultimate solution when you notice an apparent jam in your garage doors.
Working with professionals helps you identify other related failures in the system, such as the close limit switches. If the problem is with the close limit switches, the system may fail to detect the command to stop. When your garage door stops too soon, it may present a significant hazard to those that use the facility.
Repairs to the limit switch include the process of readjusting the settings in the system. The process is technical, given the complex commands your garage door requires. You should not attempt to undertake the configuration process without the expertise to handle it.
3. Remote Failures are The Other Garage Door Problems
The remote is at the heart of your garage system. But there’s nothing more frustrating than hitting that remote button to no avail. If your garage door remote control is not working, there could be a few reasons for this issue.
You need to ensure that you operate your remote within range. Being too far away can lead to a non-responsive system, even when there is nothing wrong with the garage door. To ensure that you understand the actual problem, you need to try operating the garage system from the gate switch.
Once you establish that the gate switch is functioning, then you’re sure that the problem is with the remote control. You can begin by replacing the batteries. Most times, a non-responsive remote system could be because of battery overuse.
If the issue is not with battery overuse, then you need to replace the remote altogether. But garage systems specialists note that the other common concern may be with the antennae. Your antennae on the motor unit should be hanging down. Doing this allows the signal to reach the remote and enhances the response time.
Addressing the concerns with the remote may require the intervention of a specialist. If the problem is with the motor unit, you’ll need to replace the batteries every so often. You also need to observe the positioning of the antenna during the initial installation to ensure that you know how the motor unit is set.
4. Garage Door Keeps Reversing
Sometimes, you’ll notice that the garage door reverses before hitting the floor. This can be a significant safety hazard to your family. The close-force setting could be the issue in this case. Most garage door openers have an auto-reverse feature. This feature is set to automatically reverse and lift the door in case of any mechanical obstacle during operations.
If you notice an apparent problem when operating your garage system, where the door auto reverses each time you attempt to close, then there may be a problem. One of the issues could be that the auto-reverse feature does not function correctly. If this is the case, you may need to consider testing the auto-reverse feature.
The auto-reverse component operates in a rather technical process. You may need to seek the maintenance services of a specialist. A reliable garage door installer or repair technician can correct the errors on the auto-reverse and restore it to functional order.
The close-limit switch signals your garage door when it reaches the floor. But when the settings are faulty, there’ll be instances of extreme friction due to the failure to establish control in the door’s movement. If the close-force setting is off, there’ll be a considerable increase in the amount of friction around the door.
Have you been experiencing unusual sounds when closing or opening the garage? Well, this could be the result of such excess friction. It only takes such additional extents of force to signal the motor even before hitting the floor. If the engine closes fully then reverses, you may need to review the close-limit switch for any possible faults.
5. The Motor Runs Continuously Even After the Garage Door Closes
Ordinarily, your garage door system is set in a way that the motor stops running as soon as the door is closed. However, you may realize that in other instances, the engine keeps running long after you’ve parked your car.
Often, this is a problem with the garage system. While uncommon, the concern may occur, especially in cases where your garage systems installer lacks the requisite expertise to deliver. Your garage system may fault the up-limit switch during such instances.
An up-limit switch can face failure if it develops mechanical hurdles in the course of operation. One of the reasons that may lead to inconsistencies in operating the motor is the distance between the switch and the engine. If you’re dealing with a certified garage door installer and repairer, then they should be able to identify the distance as the main reason for the motor-related faults then work at rectifying the error.
You can try to move the up-limit switch further away as you assess the resultant impact on the motor. With each adjustment, make sure that the door closes, and the engine stops in tandem. This will likely require the intervention of a technician to ensure that the up-limit switch is timed correctly.
Considering that the garage system is electric, you should avoid any attempts to tamper with the system if you aren’t an expert. While DIY can save on costs, repairing garage door openers may present hazards related to electrocution and short-circuiting. Refer to an electrician for additional support in case the problem goes beyond the ordinary.
6. Gate Switch Is Not Working
The remote control won’t always be available when you urgently need it. Your next safest option is often the gate switch. But what happens when the gate switch also fails?
Well, a dead switch might spell doom for your garage. This situation may be worse if your car is safely parked inside the garage, and you need instant access. The good thing is that this may be a solvable concern. Repairing a garage door opener may provide the solution you may need since the wall switch is attached to the system.
Your first stop should be inspecting the power supply. Once you establish that the power supply is not the cause of the problem, you can then consider other options. Fuses are at the heart of such instances of gate switch faults.
The garage system requires an electric current to function. If the gate switch is not operating as it should, you may need to assess the system for any faults. If the fuses have blown, you may not have an option but to replace such components.
However, there could be other related electric issues affecting your switch. Frayed wiring could be the other reason for the gate switch failure. Wires are exposed to water damage or wear and tear due to climatic changes.
This corrosion may cause them to get loose or cut off from the system. If the problem is with the wiring, you need to call in an electrician. As noted earlier, electric connections can pose a significant safety risk to you and those around you.
Allowing an electrician or a certified installer to work around the wiring system would be a critical decision.
7. The Door Sticks While Closing or Opening
Stuck doors form the other common garage door problems affecting your home. If you have been experiencing trouble opening or closing the garage door, then you need to assess the tracks. Garage doors get stuck due to friction on the trails or rollers.
As opposed to the problems with reversals, stuck garage doors can be a real pain. Your garage may be rendered inaccessible as long as the door is stuck. If the issue is persistent, you need to check the tracks and ensure that they are clean.
Debris, dust, and other particles may affect the ease of functionality for your garage door. You need to clean the tracks and the rollers to ensure that they run in tandem. But when the components are not well-maintained, there’s always the risk of jamming due to excess debris concentration.
Lubrication after the clean-up process can be useful when dealing with stuck doors. If this does not work, you may consider tightening the hardware. The tracks that guide the rollers in your door’s motor system are attached with brackets.
If the screws and bolts attached to the bracket are loose, then the risk that the garage door will stick increases two-fold. You need to ensure that you tighten the hardware in a manner that will bolster efficiency and reduce friction. But most times, repairing a faulty garage door engine may require the intervention of qualified technicians.
Don’t Let Your Garage Door System Be the Source of Your Frustrations
Garages are built to enhance convenience. But the wear and tear that follows a consistent period of accessing this space can lead to garage door problems. Whether these problems are mechanical, electrical, or due to human error, they can be frustrating.
With this guide to the most common garage door problems and repairs, you should not suffer recurrent letdowns.
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