Why Won’t My Garage Door Open or Close?

An automated or electric garage door is a great investment. It provides added security to your garage and offers greater safety and convenience. While a properly-fitted electric garage door should give you years of flawless service, every now and then it can stop working, often at the most inconvenient time.

From faulty remotes to physical obstructions, there can be many reasons why your garage door is not working. In this article, we’re going to take a look at some of the more common ones.

Malfunctioning remote

This is perhaps the most common reason for a garage door not closing or opening. Whether they have been dropped or accidentally stood upon, garage door remotes can get easily damaged. Similarly, they can stop working due to an electronic or mechanical glitch, like a shorted circuit or a loose internal component. Fortunately, these devices are easy to replace.

Power source not working

The other possibility, from an electrical point of view, is that the opener itself is malfunctioning. There could be several reasons for this, from a blown fuse or a loose component, to water damage or general wear-and-tear. This is something you should hire a professional to investigate.

Unseen obstacle

Sometimes your garage door won’t open or close because there’s something obstructing its movement. If the door opens or closes some of the way before coming to an abrupt stop, an unseen obstacle is likely the cause of the problem. Such a problem is easily resolved, as long as you know where to look.

Broken tension springs

Tension springs (or, torsion springs) counteract the weight of the door so it can be easily opened or closed. If they are snapped or loose, it requires greater force to lift and open the garage door. This can make it too heavy for you or for your electric garage door opener.

Track not aligned

Sectional garage doors and up-and-over garage doors slide into place on small casters that glide along fixed runners. If these tracks are not properly aligned, it is easy for the garage door to get stuck midway through its journey. The same thing can happen if the casters fail to turn, often due to a build-up of dirt and dust, or rusting components.

Snapped cables

While your torsion springs support the weight of the garage door, they are only able to do so because they have sufficient torque applied by the winding cone centred above your entranceway. This cable is in a state of constant tension and, if it snaps, all the torsion comes out of your springs in one go, leaving no support for the door and making it impossible for an electric garage door opener to operate.

Reasons why your garage door won’t open or close: final thoughts

We hope our guide has helped you establish why your garage door won’t open or close. If you’re still unsure or want an expert opinion, then contact a garage door professional.

Here at Alliance Garage Doors, we have years of experience in garage door repairs and have the skills and tools to tackle any problems you might be having with your automated garage door. Whatever the issue, our trained and experienced technicians will quickly identify the fault and provide an effective solution.

For help with your garage doors when you need it most, contact Alliance Garage Doors today on 0800 328 1930 for a free, no-obligation quote.