There are several reasons that a garage door remote doesn’t work. This is a situation that can cause a lot of frustration for homeowners. You could solve it simply by disconnecting the door from the remote. That’s an okay solution until the first time it rains, and your wife has to get out of the car to open the garage door manually.
After you’re out of the dog house, it’s time to find a better solution to the “automatic” garage door opener that isn’t working. Keep reading to learn about some possible reasons why your garage door remote doesn’t work.
Dead Batteries
You’ll probably feel silly if you spent the night in the dog house over dead batteries. But it’s a fact that most people think when their garage door stops working, it is because of some serious issue. But frequently, it’s an easy fix. It could be nothing more than the garage door remote in your car that needs new batteries. First, test the opener in your garage. If it functions properly but isn’t receiving a signal from the remote, it’s probably a simple issue of a dead battery.
A dead battery in the garage remote is a simple fix for any homeowner.
Likewise, if your opener in your garage isn’t hardwired but is plugged into an outlet, be sure it is still plugged in.
Your Photo Eye Is Out of Alignment
Any garage door opener installed since the early 1990s has a Photo Eye. This safety measure prevents the garage door from closing if there is an obstruction underneath it.
Installers typically install these Photo Eyes around ankle height on your garage door tracks. The Photo Eye can get dirty or get bumped and misaligned. A homeowner can visually inspect the Photo Eye. If it is messy, you can clean it in the same way you would clean a camera lens, with a soft cloth and streak-free cleaner.
If cleaning the Photo Eye doesn’t work, check the alignment. You should have two Photo Eyes pointing directly at each other at the same level. If one is misaligned, the Photo Eyes won’t read each other. When they don’t read each other, they will react as if there is an obstruction to prevent the garage door from closing. You can realign them with a laser level or a regular level.
An excellent indicator to see if the Photo Eye is the problem is if the garage door will open using the remote but will not close.
The Springs Are Broken
If the garage door won’t open and you know the transmitters are working, you may have a broken torsion spring. You may have one or two torsion springs, depending on the door type. If either spring is broken, this is the time to call a professional. Only try to open the door once a garage door repair professional inspects and replaces the springs.
Your Track Is Out of Alignment
It is serious if your garage door track is out of alignment. Once again, only open or close the garage door after calling a maintenance specialist to inspect and repair the door.
A quick way to determine if the track is out of alignment is to look at the rails. If there is a gap between the rollers on the door and the rail, or if you can see bends in the rails, you have a problem. This could become a dangerous situation and requires immediate resolution.
Transmitters Are Not Functioning Properly
If you are using a universal remote, it is possible that the transmitters are not working correctly. You’ll need to consult the owner’s manual on the universal remote. The manual will tell you how to reset your transmitter’s frequency to ensure it still communicates with the garage opener.
You should also check the antenna on the opener in the garage to see if it is blocked.
Cables or Tension Springs are Broken
If you have broken tension springs, this can be a dire situation. Unfortunately, it will likely lead to your cables breaking. Only park your car in the garage if you are reassured about the broken tension springs. If the wires snap, they can cause significant cosmetic damage to your vehicle. Likewise, you and your family should stay away from the cables. And most importantly, you should get a garage door repairer to your home immediately.
Garage Door Repair & Maintenance
If the garage door remote or app isn’t getting your garage door to move, this could be happening for multiple reasons. You can consult a professional garage door repair service if you have eliminated the easy fixes.
CSS Garage Doors has installed and repaired garage doors throughout North Atlanta since 2009. You can’t create a problem that we haven’t solved. So, if your garage door remote doesn’t work, call us. We will get your garage door moving again.