You wish to take out of your car to venture outside but realize that the garage door won't open.
It happens very frequently to you, but you could not figure out the reason behind the complexity. Every time, you manually open the door and take your car outside. However, If you can open the door manually, your garage door opener is functional. Therefore, you need not replace the complete door and spend much money on it.
Since you don't wish to ruin your entire day, you need to figure out the solution. There are various reasons behind the non-functioning of the garage door.
We can enlist several reasons behind the non-working garage door, and all you need to do is go through them and spot some common signs facing your garage door.
The reason behind the non-working of the garage door can be incorrectly aligned safety eyes, lack of lubricant, or simply environmental changes. It would be best if you went through the below-mentioned reasons behind the stuck garage door:
The locked garage door stands to be the most common reason behind working, and a lock is the most common mechanism that disables the garage door from opening. Moreover, it is a security function insured in manual and automatic garage door systems.
Usually, a remote is responsible for controlling the manual garage door. The remote consists of the garage door close and open button. Make sure that the garage door remote is on the 'open lock' mode so that you can easily access the garage door. A manual garage door comes with two variants of door locks. One is simply a bolt mechanism attached to the lower part of the garage door by the help of which you can manually disengage the garage door. Another comes with a perpendicular handle that sides in the opposite direction to disengage the garage door manually.
You must check that both the manual garage door locks are not hampering the door's working and are in the engaged position. Make sure that none of the locks are hindering the working.
The garage door is a piece of machinery, and just like other machines, it needs regular lubrication. Since the garage door consists of moving hardware, it needs lubrication for smooth working. The hardware consists of torsion springs, garage door track, hinges, rollers, and the door opener, and a person should lubricate all of them thoroughly at least three times a year.
For lubrication, ensure to use a dropper to enhance penetration. A dropper will reach small spaces where you can't by using a wide-mouth bottle. Using a thick lubricant is essential because it sticks to the material for a more extended period. Moreover, avoid using WD-40 since it is a water-based lubricant and does not work for a comparatively longer duration.
In addition to providing smooth working, the lubricant cuts off the contact between the material and the environment and prevents its rusting.
The garage door opener is responsible for opening and closing the door, except that the extension springs play a vital role in supporting the working of the garage door.
When the garage door lowers, the torsion spring is responsible for holding tension, which helps the garage door roll back up. Therefore, a broken garage door spring can potentially hinder the working mechanism of the door. All of the hardware work in synchronization; therefore, a garage door opener alone cannot support the door's entire weight. A door usually consists of two or more torsion springs, and if any of the springs break, the garage door produces an annoying sound.
It would be best to go for the manual mode to enable your garage door to open when it's stuck. Pull up the emergency release cord to open it. After taking out of your car, you can easily close the door using the same emergency release cord.
A professional can fix your garage door by replacing the extension spring with a new one.
If the garage door is stuck in between, it might be jammed. The reason for a jammed garage door can be non-working rollers or obstruction in the path of tracks. The rollers, tracks, and cables work together to enable the working of the garage doors.
You need to check anything that's obstructing the garage door path. Keep a check on the tracks and the rollers of the garage door. There might be dust and debris in the course of the tracks. You can remove the debris by using a thick bristle broom. After that, apply some lubricant and see if the garage door works.
Garage doors comprise a safety mechanism that is regulated by garage door sensors. The sensors are installed 4 to 6 feet above the ground, and they work by sending a light beam from the sending unit to the receiving unit.
Most importantly, the working of safety sensors is based on protecting children and animals roaming beneath the garage door. If any object crosses the beam, the sensors send a transition to the garage door opener. The opener automatically stops and prevents any object of a person from crashing down.
The garage door warns against any obstacle sensed by the safety eyes with the help of a blinking light. Ensure nobody is under the garage door, especially your child or dog.
All clear the area underneath the garage door since even a small toolbox crossing the sensor can stop the garage door from closing. After that, try opening and closing the garage door again.
If this still doesn't make the door move, then observe if the sunlight is falling on the sensors or not. The garage door can potentially mistake the sunlight as its beam and obstruct its working if it does.
If the garage door is stuck in between them, it's possible that your garage door is not correctly aligned. To analyze that, you can check the door's movement by simply stacking if the door is bending in the opposite direction. Also, have a vigil on the garage door wheels; they should move in the track's path. Moreover, there can be dents and bends in the track restricting the door from moving.
The incorrect alignment is due to improper installation of the garage door, and professional service can only fix it.
A professional can repair a damaged garage door track due to dents and bends in the way by preparing the tracks or its complete replacement.
Therefore, we suggest you try pulling down the garage door manually because it can potentially fall and cause you harm.
Considering the frost season, the garage doors can potentially jam due to ice deposition in the way. The environment can equally be responsible for non-working garage doors other than malfunctioning hardware. Freezing winters can also jam the doors by making the torsion spring frozen and hard to move. Therefore, we suggest that you should not forcibly try to close the door in frost.
There are other alternatives to fix the problem other than just waiting for the professional to fix it. The steps are straightforward. All you need is just a hairdryer or a heater. Run the hair dryer carefully on the tracks and the empty spaces. Start from the bottom and finish by ensuring that all the ice has been melted. While using a heater, ensure safety because you may harm yourself or the garage door.
Also, you can use an ice scraper to scrape the ice wherever visible. The user will have to use the ice scraper carefully as t may damage the door. At last, the most convenient method to prevent the door from freezing is using salt. Salt elevates the freezing temperate and prevents the deposition of ice. To make it work, you can sprinkle the salt over the ice.
There can be various reasons behind a garage door making noise but the most common include:
Check if both the springs are working fine.
Loose cables can be dangerous; make sure to tighten them up.
If the garage door refuses to open, you need to ensure that all of the parts are working or not. Check the door opener; if it blinks while the garage door is stuck open, there might be a problem with the garage door sensors.
If you still can't open the garage door, then there might be a severe problem with your door. You should stay away from the door and wait for professional help in such situations.
If you can't open the garage door even after doing everything possible to repair it, then it's time to call a professional. Queen City Garage Doors offer reliable services to everyone who wants professional aid at affordable prices. You have to call 980-949-0990 and avail exciting offers along with discounts and free consultations.
