Troubleshooting Your Garage Door: Quick Fixes for Common Issues
Is your garage door giving you a hard time? Whether it won’t open at all, or it opens just fine but refuses to close, you can often solve the problem with a few simple checks. Here’s a quick guide to help you troubleshoot before submitting a maintenance request.
If Your Garage Door Won’t Open
This usually means something is preventing the opener from receiving a signal.
- Check the remote control
- Try replacing the batteries in your garage door remote.
- Make sure you’re close enough for the remote to connect.
- Try the wall control – If the door won’t open from the wall button either, the opener may not be getting power.
- Make sure the opener has power
- Look to see if the garage door opener is plugged in.
- Check your rental home’s electrical box to see if a fuse has blown or a breaker has tripped
If the opener has no power, restoring electricity should fix the issue.
If Your Garage Door Opens but Won’t Close
This is almost always related to safety sensors. These sensors prevent the door from closing on a person, vehicle, or object.
- Check for something blocking the sensors – Even small items like a broom or pet toy can interrupt the beam.
- Locate the sensors – They sit about 6 inches off the ground, one on each side of the garage door tracks.
- Clean the sensor lenses – Dirt, dust, or cobwebs can break the infrared connection. Wipe each lens with a dry cloth.
- Make sure the sensors are aligned – If one sensor is bumped or tilted, the opener will think something is in the way. Gently adjust the sensors until they are level and facing each other.
- Test the door again – Try closing the door after cleaning and adjusting the sensors.
Need to Close the Door Right Now? Use Manual Override
If your door still won’t close, you can hold down the wall button continuously to force it to shut.
This override mode is safe and allows the door to close slowly without relying on the sensors.
Still Having Trouble? We’re Here to Help.
If you’re a Progress Residential resident whose tried the steps above and your garage door still isn’t working correctly – or if you notice unusual noises or movement – please reach out and submit a Service Request here.
