Garage Door Opener

There is probably no annoying thing for a homeowner than finding his/her overhead garage door that won’t close. Although it seems a common problem, it can be very disappointing to see such problems. If you find your garage door in this condition, then it is time to repair it.

There can be numerous reasons that stop your garage door from closing. Sometimes it can happen due to the misalignment of safety eyes or obstructions in the door opening. Also, if the garage door has some broken components, then it can create problems while closing. Since the garage door is one of the most operated parts in your home, issues are common to see while operating it. Mostly on winter days, you may face such problems.

Apart from that, professionally installed garage doors also cause problems in closing due to various reasons. Sometimes it can happen due to some minor faults that you can solve by yourself. But sometimes the reason may be so big that you will require your garage door opener to get repaired by professionals.

However, if you know the common reasons that cause issues while closing a garage door, then you can identify the problems with your garage door and take the necessary steps to solve the issue. Therefore, we have compiled 21 frequent reasons for the garage door closing problem here in this guide. Also, we have listed some solutions that you can try to solve the garage door closing problem.

1. Misalignment of Safety Sensors:

Safety sensors, also known as photo eyes, play an important role in closing your garage door. This sensor system has two parts one is the transmitter, and the other one is the receiver. The transmitter sends an invisible laser beam to the receiver. These devices signal the garage door opener to stop closing the door and reverse the operation if there is a break in the laser beam.

So, if these sensors are not aligned properly, then the laser beam can’t reach the receiver. This will stop the garage door from closing and reverse it. Therefore, when you face any problem while closing the door, pay attention to the alignment of the safety sensors. You can adjust the mounting brackets to point the photo eyes to each other.

2. Loose Wiring of Photo Sensors:

Since photo sensors are small devices, they are operated with low voltage wiring. The laser beam and the lights get voltage through these wires. Because these wires are very small, they can get loose due to vibration or hit by an object during operation. Even a small toy can loosen these wires and cause problems in the door operation.

Due to a loose connection, the device won’t get enough voltage and can’t send a signal to the garage door opener. So, ensure to make the wiring connections properly to avoid such problems. Also, you can check for the loose connections of the photo eyes while troubleshooting.

The low voltage wires can be disconnected on the safety sensors or on the garage door opener. So, check with both devices and connect the wires properly. Also, check and make sure that the low voltage wires are not damaged. If it is, then you will need to replace the wires.

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3. Blocked or Dirty Photo Eye:

As mentioned in the first point, photo eyes are used with garage doors for safety purposes. They detect the obstructions and reverse the door from closing. This safety system is so efficient that it can even detect a pencil or a small toy across the door opening. In such cases, the laser beam will get tripped, which will eventually stop the garage door from closing. Sometimes you may also block these sensors while doing some work in your garage.

Apart from that, the lenses of the safety sensors can also get dirty or dusty over time. This will block the laser beam and function as an obstruction. Also, due to dust, dirt, rain, or moisture, the circuit of the photo-eye system can get damaged and cause malfunction. This is why you should clean the lenses and circuitry of the safety sensors to ensure appropriate operation.

4. The Garage Door Opener Has No Power:

This is another common reason for your garage door not closing issue. Mostly, people unplug their garage door opener and forget about that. Then they think that there is some problem which is stopping the door from closing. This can be fun for some people, but sometimes it creates an annoying situation if you don’t really remember that the garage door opener has no power.

However, if the fuse or the circuit breaker has blown, then this issue can be serious. If your garage door operator has no power, then you can check and make sure that the machine is not unplugged. If there is a fuse or circuit breaker problem, then you can contact a professional to solve that.

Sometimes the garage door opener may not get power if the wall socket has some faults. In that case, you will need to repair the wall outlet to operate the garage door opener.

5. Damaged Garage Door Opener Circuit:

Your garage door opener contains an electronic circuit that acts as the brain of the whole system. So, it should function properly to open or close your garage door. However, this circuit can get damaged due to power surges. In general, lighting strikes are a common reason for power surges. Also, power surges can happen for several other reasons.

If the circuit of the garage door opener is damaged, then it can’t function properly to operate your garage door. In this case, you will need to replace the circuit of the garage door opener to ensure proper performance. If your garage door opener is an old one, then it is a good idea to replace the whole system instead of replacing the circuit because it will be economical. In addition to that, you can also use some protection systems in your home to protect electronics items.

6. Broken Springs:

Sometimes the garage door may not close if the springs are broken. If the torsion springs and extension springs that are used in the garage doors are damaged or broken, then it can be dangerous to operate the garage door. So, you will need to contact a professional to repair the garage door springs.

Generally, these springs are rated in a number of cycles, and when these number of cycles exceeds, these springs need to be replaced. If the springs are used after the maximum cycles, then they won’t function appropriately.

7. Dead Remote Batteries:

Another common reason for your garage door closing problem is the dead remote batteries. Even if the garage door opener is functioning properly, you can’t close the door when the remote battery is dead. To operate your garage door, you should have power at your opener as well as the remote transmitter.

If you are pressing the remote and the garage door is not getting closed, then you will need to check the remote transmitter and receiver. In case the problem is with the receiver part, you can contact a professional to solve the issue. But if the transmitter remote has a problem, then you can simply change the batteries to operate your garage door properly. Follow the instructions properly to replace the batteries in your remote.

8. Blocked Remote Signal:

Sometimes your garage door may not close even if the remote-control battery is in good condition. You may notice that you are pressing the button of your remote control, but the garage door is not closing. In that case, there might be an obstruction between the garage door opener and the remote control, which is blocking the remote-control signal.

Also, you might be out of the range of the remote control, which is creating the problem in operating your garage door. Sometimes there can be a branch or tree that can block the signals from reaching the receiver. Moreover, the antenna can have some problem which is stopping the signal from reaching the garage door opener. So, check these things and correct them to operate your garage door properly. If required, you can also contact a professional to solve the remote-control issue.

9. Misaligned Door Tracks:

The garage door track should be straight and free from any bend to open and close the garage door smoothly. If the garage door track is not installed properly or contain any bent on it, then it will cause difficulties while closing your garage door. With time, this damage will increase and create a worse situation for you.

You should check and make sure that both sides of the garage door are straight and allow the rollers to move freely through them. Even if one side of the garage door track is damaged or has a bent, then it can cause a serious problem while closing the door. Also, the garage door tracks should not be too wider because they will cause the rolls to fall.

Although this seems very common, it can get severe with time. So, when you notice that there is some issue with the track alignment, you should call the professional and solve it.

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10. An issue with Remote or Keypad:

As you know, your garage door opener is linked with wireless keypads and remotes for operation. There is a receiver circuit in the garage door opener that receives the signals from the transmitters. Further, the keypads or the remotes have a program or learn button on their back. By pressing this button, you can program the device for a specific garage door opener.

When the program button of the remote is pressed, it erases all data in the device and becomes ready for the new program. So, if your remote control is not working, then you need to reprogram it. If the program button is accidentally pressed, then it will reset your remote device, which will prevent your garage door from operating.

11. Radio Frequency Interference:

If your garage door remote is using an RF transmitter and receiver system for operation, then the system might be facing RF interference. One of the common issues of using RF remotes is that the signal can get affected by several household things such as gaming systems, lights, etc.

However, you can reduce this interference by changing the frequencies of your transmitters or replacing the light bulbs. Further, you can consider installing the MyQ smartphone control system to solve this issue.

12. Problems Due to Sunlight:

If you are noticing problems in closing your garage door during sunrise and sunset, then the problem may be happening due to the sunlight. Since the sunlight during sunset and sunrise is at the right angle, it can get sensed by the receiving photosensor. This will blind the photo-eye and cause a problem in closing the garage door.

To solve this problem, you can mount the transmitting photo-eye in the place of receiving photo-eye and vice versa. Otherwise, you can install a sun shield to keep the lenses safe from the sunlight.

13. Enabled Master Lock Button:

In general, there is a master lock button on most garage door openers to stop the door operation. If this button is enabled, then the remote control, keypad, and the MyQ app control won’t work. When going on a long vacation, you can enable this button because you don’t need to use the garage door for a long time.

So, make sure to check this button if it is accidentally pressed. Since this button is located near the other operational buttons of the garage door opener, it can happen accidentally while pressing other buttons.

14. Improper Electrical Wiring:

Most garage door openers are designed to plug into the 120V wall socket for operation. So, while installing a garage door opener, you should check and ensure that you have a separate wall socket for this device. If you connect the refrigerator, freezer, sound system, and other such devices on the same board where your garage door opener is connected, then it can trip the circuit breaker. This happens when an electrical circuit tries to draw more current than its capacity. If this happens with your garage door opener, then you can’t close your garage door.

Also, this problem can cause due to short circuit. So, it is a good idea to call a professional electrician to check the electrical wiring in your home and make the necessary changes. This way, you can keep the electrical devices in your home safe.

15. Bent Door Panels:

If the door panels of your garage door mechanism have been hit by something or contain bents on them, then it can cause problems in closing. The bents on the garage door will cause difficulties while closing the door compared to the flat garage doors. Generally, garage doors have numerous joints that need to be maintained properly for smooth opening and closing operations.

Usually, garage doors that are poorly manufactured are prone to get bent. Further, the garage doors that have warped panels can cause joint misalignment and create problems while closing. To solve this issue, you can consider using struts to support the weight of the garage door panels. Also, you can replace your old garage door with a double-wall insulated garage door for better results.

16. Presence of Obstructions:

If your garage door stops closing and reverses, then there might be an obstruction across the door opening. As you know, if there is an obstruction in the way of the garage door closing, then it will get sensed by safety sensors and send a signal to the garage door opener. Moreover, it is programmed that the garage door will close only when there are no obstructions in the way.

Therefore, even if there is a small thing in the door closing way, then it will reverse its operation. So, you will need to clean the garage door closing way to prevent the reversing issue.

17. The Garage Door Has Been Locked Manually:

Another common reason that prevents your garage door from closing is that the door is manually locked. Sometimes you may lock the garage door while doing some work in the garage to prevent it from closing. In that case, the garage door won’t close by the opener.

Usually, garage doors come with a manual lock option for safety. And when this lock is activated, you can’t operate it with your garage door opener. So, if you are pressing the remote or keypad button and the garage door is not closing, then you can check and make sure that the door is not manually locked. If it is locked, then unlock it to operate the garage door efficiently.

18. The Hinges or Rollers Are Broken:

The rollers or hinges of the garage door allow it to move smoothly on the curved track. So, the garage door may not operate properly if the rollers or the hinges break. This will unbalance the garage door and create problems while operating it. If the rollers or hinges are broken, then it can block the track or fall out of it.

In case this happens to your garage door, then one side of the garage door will get bent and create problems while operating. Moreover, this can create serious problems while closing your garage door. So, you shouldn’t try to close your garage door with your garage door opener if it has some broken parts. By doing so, you can prevent accidents while closing the garage door.

19. Disconnected Garage Door Opener Trolley:

You can disconnect the garage door opener trolley or the J arm to operate your garage door manually. This method comes in handy during power cuts. So, if your opener pulley is disconnected and you are trying to open the garage door with the opener, then it won’t open. Since the J arm is disconnected, it will not push or pull the door when you press the remote button.

So, consider checking the opener pully assembly if your garage door is not closing. If it is disconnected, reconnect it to ensure smooth operation.

20. Incorrect Travel Limits and Force Settings:

The travel limits and the force settings of the garage door opener need to be customized after a repair or new purchase. You can locate these settings on the back of the garage door opener. You can adjust the force settings and travel the door for one or two positions for testing purposes.

In the travel limit settings, you will set the distance for the door opening and closing. When closing the door, the bottom part should contact the floor, and when opening the door, the bottom part should be below the level of the header.

The force settings determine how much force the garage door opener needs to apply to open and close the garage door. For example, a residential garage door will require less than 15 pounds of force to open and close. So, when your garage door is creating a problem in closing, you may need to increase the downforce of your garage door opener. If the garage door is requiring more force than it actually requires, there can be some issues with the balance of the door. So, you will also need to check this point to solve the problem.

21. The Drive Gear Has Stripped:

Inside the garage door opener, there is a drive gear assembly to operate the garage door. With time, when the garage door assembly becomes older, the drive gear assembly can get stripped because of wear and tear. If this happens, then the opener can’t open or close your garage door.

So, when your garage door is not closing, there can be a chance that the drive gear has been stripped. If you hear a humming noise from your garage door opener, then there can be a stripped drive gear. To confirm that, you can open the outer casing of the garage door opener.

If there are stripped gears, then you will need to repair the garage door opener to operate your garage door smoothly. Until then, you will need to operate your garage door manually.

How to Close My Garage Door Manually?

As numerous reasons are there to cause problems in your garage door closing, sometimes you may need to close the garage door manually until the problem gets fixed. If the problem is a minor one, then you can easily fix it and use the opener to operate your garage door. Otherwise, here are tricks to close a garage door manually.

First, check and ensure that there is nothing in the way of the garage door that can block the door from closing. Then press and hold the wall button until the garage door is fully closed. Once the door is closed, release the wall button. This will overrule the safety reverse system and close the garage door. But you can’t achieve this by pressing and holding the remote or keypad button.

Apart from that, you can simply disconnect the garage door opener from the door and then pull the door down to close it. When the garage door opener is not working at all, you can follow this method to close your garage door manually.

Why Is My Garage Door Reversing When I Try to Close It?

This is a common issue that you can experience while closing your garage door. As discussed earlier, the safety sensors across the garage door opening halt and reverse the door if there is an obstruction in the way. Apart from that, the safety sensor may have been blocked, or the maximum force sensor has been activated, which can cause the door to reverse.

If the issue is due to safety sensors, then it is blocking the garage door for safety reasons. It may have found a child, animal, or some other thing under the garage door. For the same reason, it may reverse the door operation. But if the maximum force sensor is activated, then you can confirm that your garage door is requiring more force for closing. In this case, the garage door will reverse its operation to prevent accidents.

Mostly, people face these issues while closing their garage door. So, you can follow the fixes mentioned above to solve the garage door closing issue.

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Conclusion:

So now you know 21 common reasons that can stop your garage door from closing. Although they seem common, some can be severe and require professionals to solve. Also, some reasons can be silly, and you can solve that yourself. So, the key is to identify the problem and determine whether it is a minor or a major one.

Apart from that, we have also some quick fixes that you can follow to solve the problems yourself. So, we hope this guide will help you troubleshoot the garage door issues and close your garage door efficiently. You can also follow the above tips to prevent the problems from happening.

In most cases, it is a good idea to contact a professional to figure out and fix the garage door problems. Since it is a heavier part of your home, it can cause injuries or accidents if you don’t handle it properly.