Why My Garage Door Opener Stopped Working

Garage door opener systems provide a luxurious experience when you’re entering or exiting your property – but can prove to be a major inconvenience when they stop working. If you are experiencing problems with your garage door openers, keep reading to see the most common operator problems and possible solutions to get your garage doors up and running again.

1. Safety Sensors

Garage door opener sensors are designed with safety in mind, ensuring nothing is in the way when your garage doors are opening and closing. If your garage opener sensor are out of alignment or not working – your garage door opener system will fail to operate and you may have to hold down the button on your wall or remote in order to bypass the safety feature (not recommended). Alternatively, garage door opener sensor wiring tends to wear over time, which could prevent your opener from being able to communicate with your safety sensors.

If your sensors are properly aligned and your wiring is in good condition, be sure to check for any objects that may be blocking your safety eyes from communicating with one another. If your sensors are still not working, it might be time to replace your safety sensors.

2. Operator Limits

When your garage door openers are installed, the technician will set your operator limits in order to properly lower and raise your garage door according to the weight specifications of your specific garage door. Over the life cycle of your garage doors opener, it may be necessary to reset the limits to ensure your door is opening and closing all the way each time you cycle your opener. If your garage door is not opening all the way or not closing all the way in the opening, it could mean that your garage door opener set limits need to be reset.

3. Stripped Gears

Garage door opener stripped gears can cause your garage opener system to make a humming noise when engaged but will not open or close your garage door due the gear teeth being stripped away. Nylon gears are prone to breaking down with age and continued use, and they are actually designed to fail if your garage door opener is put under too much stress.

You may see plastic shavings on the floor beneath your opener overhead, a clear indicator that the gears on your garage doors openers system may be stripped. Fortunately, most gear and sprockets can be replaced, providing a more affordable solution than replacing your entire opener system.

4. Cleared Memory

If your remotes not working or your garage door keypad is not working, it could indicate a problem with the communication of those devices with the opener itself. Sometimes, a nearby property may be using the same frequency, or the memory has accidentally been cleared on the operator. A possible solution is to reprogram your remotes and keypads to new frequencies, ensuring a safe and seamless experience while operating your opener system.

5. Bad Logic Board

Another common problem we see with electric openers are surges of power (such as a lightning strike) frying the logic board on the inside of the motor unit. Fortunately, in most cases, your circuit board itself can be replaced, saving you the cost of having to replace the entire system.

6. The Problem is with Your Garage Door

Last, but not least, the problem could be related directly to your garage door. Here are some garage door related issues that may be prevent your garage door opener system from working properly:

• Door is off-track
• Rollers popped out
• Bent or broken tracks
• Snapped safety cables
• Door is too heavy for your garage door opener system

We Provide Quality Service at Reasonable Rates

If you’d like to schedule an appointment for a professional service technician to inspect your garage door or opener system, give us a call at (770) 235-8189 or CLICK HERE to schedule an appointment online.