A broken garage door can stop your whole world in its tracks. You don’t fully realize how much you rely on your garage door until it stops functioning. But when a garage door stops working properly, there are usually simple reasons why — fortunately reasons that are fairly easy to fix. Here are a few reasons your garage door’s not working and how to fix the problem yourself.
Your Remote Batteries Are Dead
When it comes to garage door openers, the number one reason they aren’t working is a dead set of batteries. You’d be surprised how many emergency calls we make that turn out to be dead Energizers. In fact, our technicians regularly carry fresh batteries in their truck just for this reason. If your garage door opener isn’t working, change the batteries. If that doesn’t work, check your fuse box. Chances are you’ve blown a fuse.
Your Garage Door Spring Broke
A garage door simply won’t work if the spring is broken. You’ll usually know a spring broke when you hear a loud bang. This repair is not something you should do yourself, however. Call a professional to replace your springs. They are under incredible tension and can cause serious bodily injury if they should snap.
Your Garage Door Opener Is Disconnected
There’s a switch that disconnects your garage door opener so that it can only be opened manually. It’s a good idea to make this switch whenever you are doing any serious repair. It is typically a rope hanging down from the motor. If it’s switched off, your garage door opener won’t function until it is connected properly again.
It’s Time for a New Garage Door
Every garage door has a lifespan. Eventually, the repair issue becomes too great to fix. When your garage door doesn’t open and you’ve tried the above, call a garage door professional for a more thorough inspection. But they might lay it out on the line and tell you that it’s time for a new door. Most homeowners can expect to replace a garage door at least once during the ownership of their home. The good news is the value of a new door neatly transfers to the value of your home. Consider it an investment in the equity of your property.