A not-so-fun fact: accidents and mishaps tend to happen when we rush and least expect it.
For example, our supposedly reliable garage door got stuck just when you are running late for an appointment.
How did that happen? Here are the possible reasons why your garage door won‘t open.
Blocked Photo Eye
From the past 15 to 20 years, most garage doors have a photo eye that can detect if something blocks it from lowering entirely.
Usually, the photo eye is 4 to 6 inches from the ground, with a pea-sized eye that shoots a harmless laser across the length of the garage.
When interrupted, it will cut off the signal used to raise or lower the garage door.
If we suspect that this is the cause of the problem, check the cord attached to the eye to see if it is damaged.
Sometimes, water from leaks can damage the photo eye. Consider that dust and dirt can clog the eye, thus blocking the laser beam.
Make sure to clean it thoroughly with tissue occasionally.
Broken Torsion Springs
Our garage doors or overhead doors have torsion springs that can break with a loud bang.
We could be doing something, and then suddenly, there goes that loud firecracker-like sound.
It is the most common reason for customers when contacting the Garage door repair company.
We can think that it won’t happen to us but know that we will need to get the torsion springs fixed at least once in our lives.
It’s because springs are rated for a particular number of cycles and are the first thing that will break in our garage door assembly.
What do you do if it snaps when you least expect it? First, do not try to open the door as it can be perilous.
Then, contact your local Overhead Door Repair Team for professional help. Our trusted service providers can handle the garage door emergency fix in no time.
Snapped Cables
When the torsion spring breaks, we should also lookout for a snapped garage door cable.
It can often happen along with broken torsion springs, but sometimes, it can get disengaged on its own.
With the wires snapping unexpectedly, we might not be able to prevent damages to nearby walls or vehicles.
The worst-case scenario here is getting a person hit and causing severe harm.
Fixing a snapped cable is something we can’t deal on our own.
Call a professional for help, instead. Getting our Garage door repair in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Dallas, or anywhere else in the country is as easy as 1-2-3.
Off-Track Door
We can usually tell if the door is off-track when it doesn’t slide properly.
Checking the track for bumps, bends, obstacles, and gaps is a reasonable preventive measure.
We can also ask questions like: Do we hear any squeaks or friction when the doors close?
Does it seem like the doors slow down or get stuck along the way?
If we both say yes to these questions, we know for sure that a section of track is misaligned.
To solve this problem, we can loosen the screws holding the track to its frame.
Then, gently tap the track to its proper position. Lastly, retighten the screws.
We can also utilize a level and rubber mallet to fix this.
Feel free to seek a professional’s help if you don’t feel comfortable fixing garage doors.
Disrupted Power Source
As humans, our memories and recollection of events are not perfect.
At times, we find ourselves doing something and completely forgetting it.
For example, we unplug power sources before leaving our home to save power and prevent electrical accidents.
But then, we go to the garage and wonder why the doors won’t open and budge.
Before we start panicking and raving to the local garage repair hotline, make sure to check if the garage door opener is plugged to a working outlet.
In some cases, outlets go without warning, so the garage still won’t open even if it is plugged in.
A known-good power outlet works with other plugged-in electronic devices.
It is worth checking the fuse or circuit breaker, too.
Our garage doors can make or break our day by simply refusing to open up.
Knowing why this happens can prevent us from panicking and focus more on resolving the problem.
