The garage door opener serves as the ‘brain’ of your entire door system. It ensures smooth and hassle-free operation until something goes wrong. Because much like any electrical device, your home’s garage door opener will soon encounter glitches that will interfere with your door’s normal functions.
When this happens, it helps to have some knowledge on how to fix a garage door opener. This way, you can nudge your unit back on track before you decide to call a licensed California technician.
If you’re not very familiar with garage door openers and the repairs they will need, I’ve outlined here a brief guide to help you. Read on to see how you can handle basic garage door issues!
Signs you need garage door opener repair
Is your door not functioning properly? Here are tell-tale signs that your garage door opener is the culprit and must be repaired immediately:
1. Your door isn’t opening or closing properly.
Intermittent operation is one of the hallmark signs that you need garage door opener repair immediately. It’s possible that there are loose connections, power supply issues, or your opener’s motor is already failing. The best way to determine the cause of the problem is to have a professional look at your unit.
2. Your door opens or closes on its own.
Similar to the intermittent operation I discussed above, unexpected operation can also be attributed to garage door opener problems. This is as long as you rule out other potential culprits, such as faulty springs.
I can’t stress enough the importance of California-licensed garage door repair in this case. Delaying the fixes only exposes you and your family to potential injuries if the door suddenly closes while someone is standing beneath it.
3. Your opening is making loud, grinding noises.
Grinding or gritting noises from your garage door opener is a sign of a gear going bad. This happens when the motor strips the gear and ultimately prevents its drive from engaging. The good news is that stripped gears can be replaced, but if your opener is already at the end of its service life, a replacement might be a better idea.
4. Your opener is always losing its limit settings.
Does your door suddenly won’t open or close all the way? Or does it travel too fast? It can be due to faulty limit settings, which can be easily adjusted on your garage door opener. However, if your opener can’t seem to hold its limit settings, you may need more than just DIY garage door opener repair.
This problem could be due to encoder issues, a failing travel module, damaged RPM sensor, and all sorts of things. It’s best that you call a professional for the correct fix.
5. Your garage door opener light is flashing.
Your opener’s lights are much like the dashboard warning lights on your car – when they light up, they mean something is wrong in the system.
For garage door openers, a flashing light could indicate safety sensor problems, faulty circuits, limit issues, and so on. You can usually perform basic troubleshooting for most of these, but if nothing works, you should call a professional technician to diagnose the problem.
DIY garage door opener troubleshooting
Doing some basic garage door opener maintenance can potentially save you from expensive repairs and a ruined schedule. So, if you suspect that your garage door opener is malfunctioning, you can do the following steps:
- Check your power source. Make sure that the opener is plugged properly and that the wires are in good condition. Any loose connections or frayed wires can cause operational issues for the opener.
- Inspect your remote. If your door won’t open when you press the remote control button, you may need to change the controller’s battery. Also, check any stuck buttons that could cause your door to act up.
- Reset the opener. A quick reset can help resolve issues related to your garage door opener’s settings. You can refer to your door’s user manual or call the best garage repair services in CA to do it for you.
- Beware of interference. Interference can happen if there are other devices using radio frequencies near your garage door opener. This includes baby monitors, wireless routers, cordless phones, and so on. It’s best to install these devices away from your opener to avoid any issues.
When should you call for professional garage door opener repair service?
If you’ve tried everything I’ve discussed here but nothing worked, I suggest you call CaliforniaGarageDoorRepair for professional repairs. They are a licensed and insured garage door repair company in LA, providing expert repairs since 2006.
As of this writing, they have 270+ positive Californiagaragerepair reviews, making them one of the top-rated repair companies in Los Angeles. They can fix all garage door opener types and models as well as all components of your door or gates.
If you want to know how much your garage door opener repair costs, reach out to them for a free quote. You can also check all their www.californiagaragerepair.com services to see why they are the only contractor you need for all things garage doors!
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