A broken garage door can be a serious hazard to you, your family, or your belongings. A professional can help you solve the issue quickly and safely.
Sensor repairs cost between $100 and $150. These sensors detect if something is in the way as the door closes. A repair person will inspect the sensors to make sure nothing is blocking them. Visit https://www.jctzgaragedoors.com/ to learn more.
One of the most obvious garage door repair problems is a power issue. If the opener has no power, check your breaker to see if it’s been tripped. You can also try plugging in a small appliance or device into the outlet to make sure the unit has power. This can help rule out a power surge as the cause of the problem. If you find that your opener still doesn’t have power, the opener logic board is likely faulty and needs to be replaced.
Another common problem is an off-balance door. This puts extra stress on the motor and can lead to it becoming damaged. To test if your garage door is off balance, manually lift it to halfway and see if it stays in place. If it does, the garage door is balanced and in good condition.
Finally, if your remote doesn’t open or close the door, check to see if it’s within range. If it isn’t, you might need a new remote or you may need to replace the battery in your existing remote. Before replacing the battery, however, you should always check that nothing is blocking the antenna, such as dirt or dust.
Once you’ve ruled out the basics, it’s time to get a little more hands-on. Start by inspecting the photo eyes to make sure they’re clean. If they’re covered with dust or debris, it can throw off the sensor, leading the opener to think that something is in its path and refuse to open or close the door. Once the eyes are clean, you can then use a level to check their alignment. The eyes should be pointing straight at each other at the same height from the ground.
You should also be sure to look over the controller wires that go into the garage door motor for signs of looseness or fraying. If you notice any of these issues, it’s best to contact a professional to avoid potential injury and damage to your home. A professional can perform a full inspection of the garage door and its working parts to ensure that it’s functioning properly.
Check the Photo Eyes
When your garage door closes, it relies on the photo eye sensors (also known as photoelectric sensors) to prevent it from closing on a person, pet, or other object. The photo eye sensors create an invisible beam between themselves and if anything interrupts that line of sight, the door will stop closing and reverse direction to open.
One of the most common problems with garage doors is that the sensors are not functioning properly. There are several reasons why this could happen, including dirt, dust, or insects in the lens, misalignment, and even sunlight.
You can check to make sure that the photo eyes are working by looking at each sensor and determining if it has an LED light on the side of it. The sensor should be a bright green color, meaning that it is functioning correctly and creating a beam. If the light is off, or if it has a red color, this indicates that something is interfering with its functionality and that you should call in a professional.
Another common issue with photo eye sensors is that they are not aligned correctly. The sensors should be positioned so that they are equidistant from the ground and facing each other. You can use a level to check that they are pointing in the same direction, and you can also wiggle them back and forth if they are not.
The last common problem that can occur with the photo eye sensors is that they are obstructed by something. The lenses should be free of dust, insects, or spider webs, and you can clean them with a damp cloth. Once you have checked that the lenses are clean and that they are aligned properly, you can try operating the garage door again. If it continues to refuse to close, you should contact a professional for further troubleshooting.
A final tip to keep in mind is that you should occasionally test your photo eye sensors by breaking the line of sight between them. The door should reopen once you do this, indicating that the sensors are functioning as they should be.
Check the Weather Stripping
The weather stripping is the last line of defense between your garage and outside elements. It’s important to check the condition of your weather stripping on a regular basis. This will help prevent the build-up of dust that can cause the weather stripping to deteriorate.
In addition, dust can also damage your door and make it difficult to operate.
Weather stripping is available in a wide variety of widths, thicknesses, and qualities. Some types are adhesive-backed while others need to be nailed in place. When you replace your weather stripping, you can improve the energy efficiency of your garage and help protect it from water damage, mold, and rust.
You can easily do a quick check on the condition of your weather stripping by using the candle test. It’s best to do this at night, so you can see the results clearly. Close the garage door and hold a candle or lighter against the edge of the door. If the flame flickers or goes out, it means there’s air flow and it’s time to replace the weather stripping.
Another easy way to check the weather stripping is to spray it with an adhesive remover and then wipe it down. After it has sat for a while, you can use a putty knife to scrape up the old adhesive residue. If the weather stripping is still good, you’ll need to clean the area and then apply a fresh coat of the same type of adhesive.
There are a few different types of weather stripping that you can purchase at your local hardware store. For example, you can buy pressure-sensitive foam strips that require no nails to install. These are easy to attach with a little patience and can provide an immediate fix for drafts. You can also purchase tubular weather stripping that requires screws to install. This type has a wide variety of sizes, and some even have pre-drilled holes for you to use.
Serrated-metal weather stripping is another option. This is an economical choice, and most packages of this type come with the necessary nails. Just follow the manufacturer’s instructions for installation.
Check the Remote
The remote control is a crucial part of your garage door repair equipment, so you need to make sure it’s working properly. First, swap out the batteries if they’re dead or low. You can also try to re-program the remote by pressing the “learn” button (usually on the side of the opener or near the antenna) and holding it for several seconds. After reprogramming, you’ll need to test the door with the remote to see if it’s functioning correctly.
If the remote works but the door isn’t opening or closing, the safety sensors may be out of alignment. The sensors should have small lights that remain lit during operation. If they don’t, this could mean that an object is obstructing the light beam or that the sensors aren’t working at all. This is usually caused by dirt, dust or rain on the sensors’ lenses. However, electronic appliances emitting radio signals at the same frequency can sometimes block the sensor’s signal, too.
Other possible causes include a worn cable or pulley, a broken spring or a damaged panel. If the garage door isn’t running smoothly, check that the jamb brackets at either side of the door opening are secure and don’t have any dents or corrosion. The strut that supports the door at the top of the opening should also be free from damage and dents. Also, the wires that connect to the opener should be free of cuts, crimps or tears and shouldn’t have any metal-to-metal contact.
Lastly, the end bearing plates that attach to each end of the spring bar should be free from rust and dents. The spring bar allows the garage door to rotate and move as it operates, so you should call a professional technician to replace it if the plates look rusted or bent.
You should also visually inspect the weather strip, door hinges and tracks for any signs of wear. Often, you can fix minor issues yourself by lubricating the hinges, metal parts, pulleys and tracks with a household oil or grease.