So, you are arriving / leaving your home or place of business and you press your remote to open your overhead garage door and nothing happens. If you are like many of us, you just keep pressing the button hoping to get it to open, to no avail. To prevent damage occurring to the garage door opener, or to the door itself, cease pressing the remote any further and investigate the following simple, yet often overlooked, issues.
Is the remote control working?
There are several things you can check out in regards to the remote itself:
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Check the battery compartment of the remote to ensure its terminals are free from any sort of corrosion and dirt. If so, they can be easily cleaned off with a file or emery board.
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Inspect the terminals to make sure they have proper contact with the battery by carefully pressing them together. They may loosen over time, especially with repetitive battery replacement.
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Try reprograming the remote by following the directions in your owner’s manual. If your remote requires several touches to work, or the buttons stick, it might be time to purchase a new remote. If there is any doubt, have it tested.
Is your garage door or remote locked?
Some people are not aware of the fact that overhead garage door openers sometimes also feature a lock button on the interior wall station that, when activated, causes all remotes to lock and not work. Some garage doors also feature an interior slide lock that slides into a vertical track for added security. Whether either of these are activated accidently or on purpose, check both these things out first before putting in a service call.
Are the safety sensors working?
The exterior wireless keypad or remote control will not work if the safety sensors aren’t working. As you may know, each overhead garage door safety sensor has a small LED light on it – make sure that the light is on. There is a problem with the powerhead and/or the sensor if the light is flashing repeatedly or is not coming on at all. Using a soft dry cloth, carefully clean the lens and look at the wires attached for loose connections or rusting. Give your local service provider a call if you are having problems in getting them back in working order on your own.
Inspect for Broken Parts
Overhead garage doors consist of many parts such as rollers, springs, hinges, cables, which can be under extreme tension, especially when in a close position, so check to see if any of these parts look broken, rusted, or compromised in any way. You should never try to repair your overhead garage door on your own because the cables or springs can put you at risk of injury. We are experts at garage door repair and can assist if you come across parts that need fixing or replacement.
Please note that if your overhead garage door doesn’t have a weather seal, there’s a good chance that its interior could have rusted or broken parts as they are highly susceptible to cold temperatures and moisture all the year around.
If, after looking at all these possible solutions, you still can’t get your overhead garage door to open, it’s time to call in the professionals and let them do their magic.
