What to Do When Your Garage Door Refuses to Open

Why won’t your garage door open? In our experience repairing garage doors in Roseville California and the Greater Sacramento area, we’ve seen pretty much every repair issue you can think of. But every once in a while we’ll encounter something new — like a spider web infestation that blocked the photo eye of one garage door. Some problems are pretty easy to fix (we solved the spider web issue with a wet soapy rag). Others require a little more expertise. Here are some of the more common garage door repair issues we’ve encountered over the years.

Photo Eyes Are Out of Alignment

Your photo eyes transmit a laser signal in a horizontal pattern. When this signal is blocked, the doors stop automatically as a safety precaution — just in case something like a mower or a person was in harm’s way. Sometimes the eyes can get out of alignment. Make sure they are well positioned directly opposite each other. Also, be sure they are clean. A little soapy water just may do the trick. Fortunately, photo eye problems are fairly easy issues to repair on a garage door.

Your Garage Door Springs are Broken

If your garage door refuses to budge but your opener’s in good shape, chances are your springs are busted. When they snap, it can sound like a large pop, as if a firecracker went off in your garage. If the springs are broken, call a professional. These springs are under an incredible amount of tension and can be dangerous to work with. Repairing garage door springs should always be left to trained and certified technicians.

Your Garage Door is Off Track

When a garage door goes off track, it becomes unable to open or close properly. This misalignment usually occurs due to various factors. Anything from damaged rollers, loose or bent tracks, or obstructions in the door’s path. When the door is off track, its movement becomes obstructed, and it may jam or get stuck at an awkward angle, rendering it immobile.

Attempting to operate the door in this condition can cause further damage to the tracks, rollers, or the door itself. It’s essential to address off-track issues promptly by contacting a professional door technician. They can safely realign the door, replace any damaged components, and ensure that it operates smoothly and securely. These aren’t the most expensive of garage door repairs and it likely won’t take too long.

There’s No Power to Garage Door Opener

One of the most common reasons your garage door doesn’t open is there’s no power to the garage door opener. This is surprisingly common — in fact, most repair issues we encounter for garage door openers come down to power supply problems. Check to see that the opener is plugged in. Open your fuse box to see if you’ve blown a fuse. Replace the batteries in your garage door opener. You might feel silly, but you’d be surprised how many calls we get for emergency garage door repair in Roseville, California over a pair of dead batteries. It’s become so common we keep our response trucks stocked with fresh batteries. And when we arrive on the scene of a garage door that doesn’t open, that’s the first thing we check. It’s the easiest garage door repair to fix, but it’s also the most overlooked.

Scroll to Top