Few things are more frustrating than a garage door that won’t fully open or close. Before paying for a garage door repair, however, you may want to try troubleshooting the problem on your own. In many instances, this is an issue that has a fast and simple fix.
1. There’s An Unknown Obstruction
Among the easiest garage door issues to resolve is an obstruction in the door’s path. All garage doors manufactured after 1993 have safety features in place for ensuring that these units don’t come to a complete close whenever people, vehicles, or other objects are in the way. If you or anyone in the home has hung any signage or sports equipment on the door, small accessories or other pieces could be causing the door to stop and reverse its course. Always be sure to keep this unit and the area around it free of clutter. Try removing any unnecessary items on or around the door and then check to see if normal functioning has been restored.
2. The Photo Eyes Are No Longer Properly Aligned
Remember the standard safety feature implemented in 1993 to prevent garage doors from closing on obstructions? This feature is called a photo eye. Not only will an unintended obstruction cause the photo eye to reverse the movement of a closing or opening door, but having photo eyes that are improperly aligned will as well. There is a photo eye placed on each side of the entrance of your garage. Together, the two eyes should be able to project a single, connecting beam across the entire entryway. While obstructions will break this beam, misalignment will prevent it from connecting at all. Unfortunately, this is a garage door repair that is always best outsourced. When photo eyes aren’t properly aligned, garage doors will often continue opening on command. However, they aren’t likely to perform any action when commanded to close. A professional repair company will both clean and properly align the photo eyes to ensure safe and reliable functioning.
3. The Antenna Is Blocked
Combined, the door and its transmitter are designed to function at a specific range. For instance, you may be able to open the door to your garage as soon as your home is in view, even though you’re still several properties away. If you can’t, it may be that you’ve exceeded the limited range of your transmitter and simply need to pull your vehicle a bit closer. However, if you suddenly find that your transmitter is only functional at much shorter distances than it was in the past, you might want to check the antenna that hangs down from the actual door motor. If something is blocking this component, the range will be more limited, or signals might not be received at all. Finally, check to ensure that the transmitter has functional batters and that it is not being accidentally depressed. If this unit has fallen down on the floor, a miscellaneous, heavy item could be pushing it continuously.
4. Broken Torsion Springs
Worn or broken torsion springs are garage door repair issues that everyone is likely to face at some point in time. Due to the level of pressure and tension that these components face, they actually have a limited number of uses. As such, they’ll only be able to function properly for a specific number of opening and closing cycles. To maintain the longevity of their torsion springs, homeowners can limit the number of times that they open and close their garages each day. If your kids are regularly using this as an entrance and exit, or a way to bring their bikes and other sports equipment in, you may want to set firm rules to prevent overuse. Broken torsion springs are the most likely cause of problems if the photo eyes are properly aligned, the motor is getting power, and the transmitter is working properly. Given the complex nature of torsion spring replacements and repairs, this is a project that should always be handled a trusted garage door repair service.
For trusted garage door repair service in the greater Salt Lake City area, you can always turn to Universal Garage Door Services. Our seasoned technicians can quickly diagnose problems, and implement cost-effective and long-lasting solutions. With our commitment to always using high-quality replacement parts and the most cutting-edge repair techniques, we can ensure that this essential home feature is always doing its job.
Universal Garage Door Services
https://www.garagedoors-saltlakecity.com
2607 S State Street Suite B Salt Lake City, Utah 84115
(801) 784-4550
