The garage door opener is the motorised device that opens and closes garage doors, controlled either by switches on the garage wall or a radio remote control. While you may not think about your garage door opener much, it is an important part of your garage door that may lead you to getting garage door repairs in Adelaide if it malfunctions.
Whether you have garage roller doors or any other type of garage door, here are five common garage door opener problems and ways that they can be fixed.
Garage door does not open fully
When the garage door ascends correctly but stops before it is fully open, it is most likely because the door rollers are preventing it from opening completely. Check your garage door rollers to see if they are damaged or rusty, and lubricate them to try and get them going smoothly once more.
Alternatively, the up-limit switch may need to be moved toward the motor unit. If it is too far away, the motor will stop the door before it has fully opened. You would usually notice this happening immediately after a new garage door opener is installed.
Garage door reverses before hitting the floor
If your garage door reverses before it even touches the floor, it isn’t working as it should be. Once again, the cause of the issue could be a simple matter of damaged or rusted rollers. The extra friction created by the rollers could be fooling the door opener into stopping before it is supposed to. Therefore, make sure your rollers are in good working order and well lubricated.
Besides that, garage door openers also have an adjustment screw that controls the pressure with which your door is allowed to descend before the motor switches off. If your garage door is reversing prematurely, then this screw needs to be adjusted for less sensitivity.
Remote does not open the garage door
If your wireless remote control is unable to operate your garage door opener, start by moving closer to the door. Sometimes, you are simply out of working range of your remote control and a few feet can make a lot of difference. Modern garage door openers are essentially small radios and you need to be in range for them to pick up your remote signal.
If that doesn’t do the trick, check to see if the door functions fine with the hardwired wall switch. If you can open the door using the switch but not your remote, it is likely that the batteries in your remote control need replacing.
The wall switch does not work either
When you try to open your garage door through the remote or wall switch and neither option works, then it is quite certain that the power source of your garage door opener has been interrupted in some way.
This could occur when the circuit breaker or outlet powering your door opener has tripped. In some cases, your garage door opener’s motor could be burned out and unable to operate at all. In these situations, you would need a professional to come in and possibly replace it. However, before you arrive at this conclusion, make sure to check whether the door opener is plugged in properly – as this could be the simple reason behind your malfunctioning garage door.
Problems opening the garage door in winter
Sometimes, you will find that your garage door works fine throughout the year, but starts getting faulty once the colder weather rolls in. If your garage door doesn’t open in winter, this could be because you need to adjust the sensitivity of the opener to reflect the change in temperatures. As always, make sure to lubricate your rollers as they tend to get stiff during the winter season.
Hopefully, these tips will help you understand the different problems you may encounter when it comes to your garage door opener. While some issues can be easily fixed just by lubricating or making a few adjustments here and there, it is always best to call in a professional garage door expert if bigger repairs are needed.
