The garage door is a highly mechanical entity. It works by using cables and spring assemblies to counterbalance the hefty weight of the structure. Over a period of use, the garage door tends to jam at times and may fail to open all the way, causing you to seek the services of a professional garage door repair company in Hillsboro. Luckily, this problem can easily be fixed by doing some preventive maintenance. Below, we look at different reasons why your garage door isn’t opening.
What’s Wrong with My Garage Door?
There are several reasons why your garage door won’t open. Most of these are structural problems that affect the various sections of the door and typically include the following:
Broken Tension Springs
A garage door is suspended on the two torsion springs. Each of these runs through a pulley and is connected to a cable. Inspect the spring assembly to ensure that there are no breaks, cracks, or signs of wear. If the tensions springs break, they will undermine the regular opening and closing mechanism of the door.
In most cases, if you notice you have broken garage door springs, it means that they have been overworked and need to be replaced. However, there are other reasons for this, such as tension spring stretching after continuous use. You can easily change to new ones if necessary if you feel the old ones are obsolete. If you notice any of these problems, it’s time for garage door repair immediately.
Track Not Aligned Properly
Another reason why your garage door won’t open is that the track is not aligned correctly. In this case, the rollers don’t always align right, hindering the door’s movement. To fix this problem, you can adjust it so that everything fits appropriately again.
The tracks are usually attached securely to a wall or ceiling. Still, due to continuous movement and the pressure exerted by the spring assembly, they can be pushed beyond their limit. In many cases, a door might get out of grip because it’s been forced to open or close for a long time. When this happens, your garage door repair service will have no option but to remove and adjust the tracks.
If your torsion springs have snapped and there is a bit of play in the tracks, it’s time to clean and lubricate them before they impact the smoothness of operation.
Cables Have Snapped
The cables used in a garage door are robust and designed to handle the heavy spring assembly. However, due to so much pressure exerted on them, they tend to snap. There is little that can be done once this happens except for replacing them with a new set. The garage door repair will require special tools, skills, and equipment such as pliers and needle-nose pliers.
In some cases, the rollers can also cause a problem when they don’t operate properly. Over time, these may collect debris, which interferes with their sleek movement. You can try garage door repair practices like cleaning and lubricating them for smooth operation again.
Photo Eye Out of Alignment
The photo-eye is an essential part of the garage door mechanism, which detects any obstruction to its movement. The detection process depends on the light emitted from this sensor, and in case it’s not aligned correctly, this function will fail and lead to overworking of other parts of your garage door system. A garage door repair service should be able to get it working again.
Broken Remote Control
Another reason why your new garage door won’t open could be that the remote control is malfunctioning. You can replace your broken one and program it manually, provided you have a spare battery for it.
Using a manual opener or force will not be helpful in this case because most garage doors are designed to automatically close when an obstruction has been detected by the photo eye, which means that the door may swing back onto you.
If your garage door still doesn’t open, even after trying the things mentioned above, it might be time to call a professional garage door repair service in Hillsboro, Oregon, for help. In some cases, this problem can be caused by environmental factors where specific garage door components may have been damaged due to excessive heat or cold exposure.
What To Do?
If the above symptoms match with what you are facing, it doesn’t mean you need to replace the entire spring assembly. In most cases, just replacing a damaged or missing component can have your garage door working correctly again. However, if the problem persists after trying all of this, there is no choice but to call a Hillsboro garage door repair professional. They will ascertain what needs to be replaced and get the job done for you.
Conclusion
A dysfunctional garage door can be a pain in the neck and mess up your day’s schedule. However, before you decide to replace the entire thing, take a careful look at each of its components and if they are worn out or damaged, and get them replaced as soon as possible. Give us a call at All About Doors, and let us restore the integrity of your garage door.
FAQ
How do you fix a garage door that won’t open?
If your garage door doesn’t open, you may have a problem with your torsion springs. A broken garage door spring should be replaced by a professional. Still, if the springs are working fine and the issue is only with the garage door opener, it can be easily fixed without replacing it entirely.
Why is my garage door not responding?
If your new garage door is not responding, then the remote control or the photo eye may not be working correctly. In this case, you will have to contact a garage door repair specialist to replace either of these two parts.
Why won’t my garage door work when it’s cold?
Your garage door may not respond in cold weather because its mechanisms are affected by temperature. This will call for garage door service like lubrication to prevent freezing.