With your garage door being used so frequently, it should be no surprise to you when it stops working. Small parts of this complex appliance can potentially cause the entire door to fail. Don't rush off to call a local garage door repair specialist, since you can try fixing it on your own with these solutions.

The Garage Door Won't Close

One problem you may run into is a garage door that won't close when you activate it. It's possible that this problem is related to the safety sensor. There is a infrared sensor located near the bottom of the door that is designed to prevent the door from closing on objects. If something you were not aware of is covering the sensor, it could be what is preventing the door from shutting.

Check out the infrared sensor for anything blocking its path, and then try activating the garage door again. If it closes without any issue, you know clearing the path of the sensor did the trick. Be aware that it's also possible for the sensor to malfunction because it is dirty. So try removing any dirt that could be covering the sensor.

Another possibility is that the sensor is overheating and malfunctioning. Look at the garage door when it is open, and check if one of its sensors is in direct sunlight. If so, try moving it to a new position that is out of direct sunlight.

The Garage Door Closes and Opens On its Own

If the door itself is acting oddly, such as operating on its own after pressing the activation button a single time, the safety sensors could be malfunctioning. What's happening is that the sensors are shorting out and sending multiple signals to the opener all at once.

Try replacing the sensors with new ones to see if that does the trick. A brand new sensor should send the proper signals to the automatic opener when something is in the door's path, rather than send incorrect signals that cause it to go crazy.

The Remotes Have Stopped Working

If you have remotes in your car that have stopped working, but the physical button inside still works, try swapping out the batteries in the remote opener as a simple solution. If the button is hard wired into your car, try reprogramming the button again. It's possible that the code to open the door was lost, and all you need to do is program the opener again to get it working.

If your garage door is giving you these or other issues, contact services such as Smartek Garage Doors.