5 Reasons Your Garage Door Won’t Close
Trying to leave the house but your garage door won’t close? We’ll quickly cover a few reasons why that might be happening and what you can do to help. If you still need help, please contact a local garage door repair company for support.
1. Check the Sensors
The most common cause of garage doors that won’t close is a problem with the sensors, found at the bottom of the track. A set of sensors has a sending and receiving laser that have bright indicator lights. A solid LED light means the sensors are working, while a blinking light means there’s an issue. Sensors detect obstructions like tools, toys, or anything else blocking the door’s path.
If your garage door isn’t weathertight, dirt or debris can cover the sensors, causing them to send a false signal of an obstruction. If there’s nothing in the way of the sensors but your door isn’t closing, wipe the sensors with a soft cloth and try again.
Blinking sensors are a sign that they may be out of alignment. The sensors, placed on opposite tracks, need to be set at the same height and facing each other. Housed in a safety bracket, adjust the sensors until the LED light is solid. If you can’t get the LED lights to stay on, there may be an electrical issue with the wiring.
2. Inspect the Tracks and Rollers
If your sensors are clean and clear of obstructions and the garage door won’t close, inspect your garage door tracks. While you should know if you ran into the track, your spouse or kids may have bumped into it. If you notice a bent or bowed section, we recommend calling a repair company to adjust it. While you can try to adjust it with clamps or a hammer, we don’t recommend it. This is a good time to clean your track with a cloth to remove any grime. Note: click here to view the parts of a garage door.
Take this time to look at your rollers as well. If your garage door rollers aren’t working, first clean them with a bristle brush to remove and build up. Next, lubricate them with a non-silicon based product. If you door has nylon rollers, only lubricate the bearings. Stuck rollers can signal to the opener there’s an obstruction because one side of the door may move faster than the other.
3. Adjust the Limits
Open and close limits tell the opener the distance the door should travel. Travel limits make sure the door closes properly. If the limits are too high, the door identifies the floor as an object and opens right after touching down. To adjust the settings, consult your garage door opener manual or contact a local repair shop.
4. Remote Not Working
Does your garage door close from a keypad or wall board but won’t close with your remote? If so, you likely need a new battery or even a new remote. Before taking the step to replace it, we recommend reprogramming your remote. Consult your garage door opener manual for instructions.
5. Blinking Lights
Does your opener light flash or blink when you try to close it? Your opener has embedded safety rules that alert you of a problem. On select openers, the number of flashing lights tell you what the problem might be. For more information, read our article, Why is my garage door opener light blinking?
At Heritage Garage Door, we service garage doors and their parts. If you’re shopping for garage door items in Southern California, look at our garage doors, openers, and accessories.
