Many people use their garage as an entryway into their homes or a place to store tools and equipment, such as lawn mowers and power tools. Either way, it can be pretty frustrating when your garage door won’t open. There are several reasons why this might happen.

Dead Remote Battery

If you’re trying to use your remote and your garage door won’t open, the problem could simply be that your remote battery is dead and needs to be replaced. A new battery can be purchased at your local hardware store and you can easily replace it yourself.

Frequency Interference

Garage door openers with LED light bulbs emit a radio frequency. This frequency can interfere with the signal between your garage door opener and the remote you are using.

Power Outage

Because garage door openers run on electricity, they won’t be able to operate if the power is out. You can easily determine if your power is out by looking at the garage door opener to see if the lights are on when it should be.

The outlet may be unplugged or there may be an issue with the outlet. If the opener is unplugged, you can simply plug it back in. However, any electrical issues with the outlet will require an electrician.

Emergency Release

The emergency release cord is meant to allow you to open the garage door manually, if necessary. If the cord was pulled intentionally or accidentally and not reconnected, the trolley will be disengaged from the door. The motor will run, but the door won’t open. You’ll just need to reattach the arm back onto the trolley which is simple to do.

Circuit Board Issues

The circuit board is the brain of the opener. It can actually be damaged by a power surge or even a lightning strike. If it’s a circuit board issue, the garage door opener will have to be replaced.

Gear and Sprocket

The gear and sprocket is a system that drives the chain on the motor and allows the door to open. The gear is made of nylon and will eventually wear out. When this happens, the motor will run but it won’t move the door.

Broken or Worn Parts

A broken spring or cable, worn pulleys or rollers out of the track all contribute to a door that won’t open. Regularly checking your garage door, your opener and all of its parts can help you keep your garage door working correctly.

Locked Garage Door

Garage doors come with an interior lock that allows you to lock the garage door from the inside. It doesn’t automatically lock, but if the wrong hands get onto it (aka kids), the door won’t open.

Wall Control Panel

If the garage door opens when you use your remote, but isn’t opening when you press your wall control panel, there may be an issue with the connection and wiring between the opener and wall panel. You would probably need to call a professional in this instance to ensure the problem is solved correctly.

Remote Lock Turned On

Your wall control panel offers many different features for your garage door. One of them includes Remote Lock, which prohibits the use of remotes. To check that, scroll through your garage door wall control panel until you see Remote Lock. Be sure it says “Off” next to it.

If you're garage door still won't open after reviewing all the possible causes, don’t hesitate to call Precision Garage Door. We can schedule an appointment to have a trained technician come out to your house to inspect your garage and find the cause for the issue.