5 Simple Garage Door Troubleshooting Tips

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It can be very frustrating when your garage door won't open or close. Before you call a repairman for an expensive garage door repair, though, there are some tricks you can try to get your door working again. Here are simple garage door troubleshooting tips:

1. Check the mode.

Garage doors have "vacation" or "away" modes. When your door is set to one of these modes, it won't respond to the garage door opener from the outside. Check the wall control for your garage door to see if the door is set to one of these modes.

2. Check the batteries.

This may seem obvious, but forgetting to check the batteries in your garage door opener is easy to do when you're frustrated. Garage door openers need batteries to work, and even if the batteries aren't dead, the door may not open if the batteries are weak. Replace the batteries in the garage door opener, and ensure that the opener has not been damaged by a battery leak.

3. Check the power.

If you've been away on vacation, it's possible that your power went out or the breaker for the garage door tripped. Check to make sure you have power, and check the fuse box. Switch the breaker to your garage door off, and wait a few seconds before flipping it back on. Often, even if the breaker didn't trip, this resets the system and fixes the door.

4. Check the photo eye.

The photo eye of a garage door shoots an invisible laser beam across your garage. This beam senses if an object or person is under the door. This is a safety feature designed to prevent injury and accidents. If this eye gets dirty, your door may not close because the eye thinks the dirt is an obstruction. Try cleaning the photo eye with a soft tissue or microfiber cloth. Both sides of your door have a sensor about six inches off the floor that make up the photo eye.

5. Reprogram the door opener.

Sometimes the garage door opener needs to be reset. You can do this by reprogramming the opener. Here are the steps to reprogram the door opener:

For doors with keypads:

• Use a ladder or step stool to reach the motor unit.
• Locate the learn button on the side of the unit.
• Press this button and hold it down until the light beside it blinks off.
• Push the button again. The light should blink back on.
• Enter a new code on the keypad located on your garage wall.
• Press the learn button and press a button on your opener.

For doors without keypads:

• You will need to access the switches inside the garage door opener. Take the cover off the remote or opener.
• Press the switches to change the code.
• Put the cover back on.
• Use a ladder to access the motor unit.
• Press the switches on the unit to match the code given to the remote.

If these tips don't work, contact a repairman today at http://www.raynordoor.com.

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2 June 2015