Troubleshooting Guide: Why Your Garage Door is Losing Power
Getting stuck behind an unresponsive garage door can be frustrating. It’s even more frustrating when you have no idea what to do and how to address the problem. As with most breakdowns, the timing is always auspicious, probably on an important day when you’re rushing to meet a deadline.
Contacting a professional garage door repair professional is the best thing to do. You can hire them for garage door repair in Delta and retain them for future maintenance needs to prevent a repeat.
To deal with the situation at hand, below are some of the common reasons why your garage door is losing power.
1. The Transmitter Batteries Are Dead
One of the most obvious reasons your garage door may be unresponsive is the transmitter. In most cases, the transmitters aren’t bad, however, their batteries may be bad, thus affecting their communication with the garage door.
To troubleshoot this problem, start by checking to see if the transmitter inside your garage is still operational. This can be done by manually pressing the transmitter and waiting for its response. If it works, then the batteries in the remote may be bad and need changing.
It is recommended that you change out the transmitter batteries at least once every 2 years, depending on use. Frequently used transmitters may require a battery change sooner.
To change the battery on your transmitter, simply slide down the back battery plate to reveal the battery port. In some cases, you may need a small head “star” screwdriver to remove the battery cover. Once removed, replace the battery with a new one and dispose of the worn batteries appropriately.
Ensure that you operate/test the transmitter before closing the battery cover.
2. The Photo Eye Is Out of Alignment
Garage doors have come a long way from what they were in the past. In the early 90s, children often used garage doors as a sport to gauge how fast they could escape a closing door. However, newer garage doors have a solution for this, especially to improve safety and security.
The photo eye sensor works like a motion sensor to detect passing objects and signal the garage door to either halt or abort its mission. So, a garage door may not close if an object is in the photo eye’s line of vision.
A misaligned photo eye can cause your garage door to become unresponsive. In fact, the photo eye may misbehave if its glass surface is covered by debris or scratches.
You can check this part of your garage door to ensure that it is clean and free from scratches. If misaligned, you should readjust both sides such that they are on the same plane and can see eye to eye.
An excellent way to readjust your photo eye sensor is to get a string and attach it to both photo eyes across the length of the garage door. You may also need a level to ensure that the string is straight and that both eyes are on the same level for excellent functionality.
If unsure how to align your photo-eye, contact a professional for help.
3. Misaligned Garage Door Track
A misaligned garage door track can be a serious issue. It’s not one of those problems that should be DIYed. Misaligned garage doors expose users to a wide range of dangers that could cause bodily harm.
Such problems can be detected by carefully inspecting the garage door for bends between the roller and rail. Such bends can be due to the heavy weight of the garage door or other issues like external impact.
Aligning a misaligned garage door requires professional help. However, before a professional arrives, you can further diagnose this problem by listening for a rubbing or unusual noise when your garage door reaches a certain spot during its opening or closing operation.
To realign the track, your garage door technician will first loosen the track screws from the frame and gently restore the alignment using a rubber mallet or other tools. This process is delicate and should be done with the utmost care, especially if you intend to DIY the repair.
4. Transmitter Problem
Transmitters operate on specific frequencies. They are like radio stations where you can dial into a specific frequency and listen to different radio stations in each state across the nation.
With that said, you and your neighbor may have mistakenly set your transmitters on the same frequency. This can create a weird reaction as your garage door may open or close in response to your neighbor’s commands.
A simple fix for this problem is to recalibrate your transmitter to ensure you’re on a unique frequency. This can significantly improve your overall safety and security.
