Where to Start Troubleshooting

It’s pretty obvious when the opener isn’t working: you push the button and nothing happens. Don’t panic; pay attention to little clues instead. If, for instance, a control pad fails to light up or the motor makes an unusual sound, your best bet is to check that specific component. When there isn’t a visible clue to track, consider the symptoms to suggest a cause and possibly a cure.

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🔴🔵Warning🔴🔵 Do not do this!!

The torsion spring is the long, coiled piece that runs horizontally just above the door. This spring – not the motor or armature attaching the door to the mechanical unit – does the heavy lifting. A note of caution: This spring is under an enormous amount of tension and the average DIYer should not attempt to remove it. Garage doors aren’t light – steel doors can weigh 300 pounds easily.

🔴🔵🔴🔵 THIS SPRING CAN REMOVE BODY PARTS🔴🔵🔴🔵

Call a professional  Like Patrick's Garage Door Company!

Annual Garage Door Opener Maintenance

Perform an annual inspection and maintenance procedure on your garage door and opener to keep it working for years. Clean all tracks and lubricate moving parts. Change batteries and check all bolts and fasteners. Inspect belts, chains and pulleys, replacing worn parts as necessary. Test the lift and close force and adjust accordingly. Look at the garage door seal and repair the weather stripping if needed.

The Garage Door Light Fails to Operate

If your garage door opener is leaving you in the dark, check the lightbulb first; it’s the most common cause of light failure. More complex issues involve a dead socket or problems inside the motor’s circuit board. Unplug your garage door opener or remove the batteries for 30 seconds or more. Plug it in again. In many cases this will reset the circuit board as well as fix other mechanical problems. If the light still fails to work, have a professional assess and solve the problem for you.

The Garage Door Opener is Noisy or the Door Vibrates

Some openers are louder than others. Chains rattle, springs creak and doors chatter as they move. As long as the door operates properly, barring alarming noises such as shrieks that suddenly arise or smoke billowing from the unit, there’s probably nothing to cause concern. New noises or movements can result from loose nuts and bolts or failure in the track system. Examine every part of the door, rails, drive and springs. Tighten or adjust components as needed. Lubricate the travel mechanism with a little oil or as recommended by the manufacturer.
You can actually pop the cover off the opener unit and observe how it works when activated. Just don’t touch anything to prevent electrical shock or injury.