Are you asking yourself, “Why isn’t my garage door shutting?” You have come to the right place to find answers regarding why your garage door may not be shutting. There are a lot of reasons why a garage door may not be shutting properly. Read more below about the most common reasons a garage door is not able to shut.
Sensor Alignment
This is one of the most common reasons garage doors will not close. All garage doors with a garage door opener will have a sensor near the ground on each side of the garage door. These sensors have an infrared beam of light that passes between the two sensors. The sensors are designed to keep the garage door from crushing anything or anyone that is beneath the garage door. When one sensor is not aligned with the other, the infrared beam of light cannot pass between the sensors. When the infrared light is unable to travel between the two sensors, it triggers a mechanism in the garage door motor which tells the garage door it should not shut. Solving a problem with sensor misalignment is as easy as getting the two sensors aligned properly. Some less reputable garage door repair companies that will use misaligned sensors as an excuse to sell you a ton of garage door repair services that you do not need. They’ll try to tell you your entire garage door motor needs to be replaced because of a “fried motherboard” when it is really just a misaligned sensor. The International Door Association has gone to great lengths to warn consumers about this particular scam. Garage Door Repair and Installations Company always gives accurate assessments of what is wrong with our customer’s garage doors. It is our goal to be the example in which the rest of the garage door industry should follow. If you suspect you may have an issue with your garage door sensors, we will be glad to help you.
Sunlight
Yes. That’s right, sunlight can keep your garage door from shutting. Garage door sensors pass a beam of light from from one sensor to another on each side of your garage door. These sensors are designed to protect people, animals and personal belongings from harm. If something interrupts the path between the two sensors the garage door will refuse to shut. If the sunshine is beaming into one of your garage door sensors, the lumens of light from the sun will exceed the lumens generated by the infrared light in the garage door sensor. Therefore, the sensors are not able to send a signal to one another and the garage door will not close. Problems caused by the sun’s light are most commonly seen during the morning and evening since the sun is low enough to allow light to reach the sensors. If your garage door is not shutting and you see the sunlight is hitting one of your sensors, hold an object up to create shade for your garage door sensor while you’re pushing the button on your garage door remote.
Off Track
All of us can get off track from time to time. However, we are not dangerous when we get off track like a garage door is. Garage doors panels are attached to hinges which then connect rollers to the inside of a track. You will likely recognize the tracks pretty easily. They are the silver colored metal on each side of your garage door that starts at floor and then curves up along the ceiling. When the rollers which run along the inside of the garage door track pop out of the track it can keep the garage door from closing. If one of your rollers has come out of the garage door track DO NOT attempt to open or close your garage door. When a roller is out of the track and you attempt to open or close the garage door, it can cause the entire garage door to pop out of the tracks and fall. If one of your rollers is off its track, call a garage door repair professional immediately. A licensed garage door repair professional will be able to help you inspect your rollers and your track to see why your garage door feel off its track. Once again, please do not mess with your garage door if it is off its track. Additionally, do not stand underneath it. Garage doors are much heavier than what you might imagine. They have the ability to cause serious bodily harm or worse. If you’re in the Visalia or greater Tulare county area and are experiencing issues with your garage door, give us a call.
Broken Springs
Garage doors have springs which are designed to hold a majority of a garage door’s weight. All garage door springs eventually break. Garage door springs will only turn a certain number of cycles before they give out. If your garage door is open when the garage door spring breaks, the full weight of the door will rest upon the rollers. A garage door which weighs well over 100 pounds in most cases will quickly pickup momentum and crash into the garage floor. This usually causes the garage doors’ pulley’s and cables to come loose and dangle from the ceiling. Additionally, it may even cause the garage door to come partially off its track. When a garage door spring breaks, the garage door can stay partially ajar. If you suspect your garage door spring has broken, do not attempt to force your garage door shut. Call a licensed and reputable garage door repair professional immediately. A garage door with a broken spring is much more dangerous. Normally a garage door spring is holding most of a garage door’s weight. However, when the garage door spring breaks, the full weight of the garage door is resting on the other components. The strain on the rollers, track, hinges, and pulleys caused by the full weight of the garage door can cause the entire door to fall. Additionally, it’s easy to cause further damage to your garage door system.
Limit Screws
What is a limit screw? A garage door limit screw tells a garage door how far it is able to travel when it is opening or closing. When a limit screw is not set properly or malfunctions, your garage door may not shut all the way. Limit screws are very sensitive so it does not take much of an adjustment for the garage door travel distance to change drastically. Do not attempt to adjust your garage door limit screws if you suspect another component of your garage door is not operating correctly.
Trolley
Trolley? I thought we were talking about garage doors. Don’t worry, we are still talking about garage doors and you are still on the right page to learn about why your garage door may not be shutting. Garage doors actually have a part that is referred to as a trolley. Some people may also call it a carriage. The trolley or carriage is pulled along a rail by either a belt, screw, or chain depending on the type of garage door opener you have. The trolley is the object hanging from your garage door that has a bright red or orange rope and handle. The trolley is supposed to lock into a designated locking point somewhere along the chain or belt. If the trolley is not attached to its locking point or is unable to connect to its locking point, it will not allow the motor to move the garage door up or down. If you have questions about your garage door trolley/carriage, give us a call.
Important Note
You can always pull the rope and handle attached to your trolley to open your garage door manually if your garage door motor has ceased working or your electricity has gone out. California now requires garage doors to have battery backup units in case your electricity goes out. However, it is still important to make sure you can open your garage door manually.
Call Us
Do you still have questions about why your garage door is not shutting properly? Those of you who are located in the Visalia, Fresno County, Tulare County, or Kings County area, can call our licensed garage door repair company. Our garage door repair company will give you an honest and accurate representation of your garage door issues. Our veteran owned company treats every customer like a member of our family. Call us any time to schedule or ask any questions you have about your garage door. We look forward to hearing from you.
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