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Having a garage door that won’t close can put your home at risk.
It opens it to burglars and the like as it makes your home vulnerable.
But why does this happen? What exactly is going on when your garage door is not closing?
Before we get to know how to fix overhead doors when they don’t close, let us enumerate some of the possible reasons why your garage door is not closing.
Get to know what is causing this problem and what you can do to fix it.
Unresponsive Motion Sensor
Some individuals use motion sensors in their garage door set-up.
These motion sensors are used as a means of controlling the door’s basic operation – closing the door.
Motion sensors work by sending go signals to the garage door’s openers giving it the command to close the door.
They detect whether there is something on the way as the door opens or closes.
This is useful in a way that it makes sure that if the sensor detects something, it does not allow the gate to close, preventing damages and accidents from happening.
The downside of this is that if not set properly or something is blocking the lens of your sensor, it will prevent you from being able to close your door even when there is nothing on the way.
To fix this problem, try checking your sensors. See if they are aligned.
Also, make sure that nothing is obstructing the sight of the sensor.
If the alignment seems fine then try checking the lens of your sensor if there is any dirt blocking it.
It is possible that this could be why you cannot close your overhead door.
If the lens is dirty, then make sure to wipe it clean. You can clean it using a soft, non-abrasive cloth to prevent scratching the surface.
Also, be careful not to exert too much force on the lens as this can damage your sensor.
Garage Door Opener Settings are incorrect
The garage door opener has Limit settings that dictate the distance of your door from the surface of the floor when fully opened.
When this is not set correctly, it ends up reopening your gate again.
This is because when it hits the floor, it thinks that there is an obstruction and thus will automatically reopen itself to prevent any accidents.
When this happens, check your door opener’s limit settings.
Refer to the User Manual for any instructions you may need to know.
Recalibrate your limit settings so that your overhead door can properly close itself this time around.
Malfunctioning Remote
Another possibility as to why your door is not closing might be because of your remote.
If you use a remote to control the functions of your door, then this can be a possibility.
There are a lot of things that can cause your remote to not function.
Here are some of the most common ones:
- The batteries are already dead
- You are outside the range of your remote
- You use the same frequency as someone living nearby you
To make sure that it is indeed the remote having a problem and not the opener or anything else, try closing and opening the gate without using the remote.
There should be a button or control for this on your opener.
If it functions well enough, then there is a high chance that it is indeed your remote causing the problem.
Dead batteries can be resolved easily by simply replacing them.
After replacement, try to check if your doors can now be controlled using your remote.
If there is no problem with the batteries, try to move closer then close your garage door using the remote.
Some remotes have a small range so if you use one, you should be made aware of its limit.
This information can be found on your User Manual.
Now if you happen to be living near someone using the same frequency as you do, then this could be preventing you from closing your gate.
Try to change the frequency your remote uses by reprogramming it.
Disconnect Switch on your opener is enabled
If you just had your regular maintenance or tune-up lately, then it is entirely possible that you or your technician has forgotten to disable the Disconnect Switch.
The disconnect switch is used to allow you to be able to lift and close your door manually.
This is especially useful during repair or maintenance.
This is also used when there is a power shortage making you unable to open your door using the opener.
Try to check if the disconnect switch is really enabled. If it is, disable it.
Doing this should allow you to close your door using your opener and will thus, fix your problem.
Defective Springs and Cables
Last on the list is your springs and cables.
Springs and Cables support your overhead door and help in opening and closing the door.
It is possible that you are unable to close the door because your spring or your cable can no longer support your garage door because of it being damaged.
When something like this happens, it is best to replace the concerned parts.
When repairing faulty springs and cables, it is best to hire a professional for help.
These jobs can be dangerous and if you are not skilled enough, it could cause damage or injury.
Conclusion
All being said and done, if these do not help you with your dilemma, then it is best to contact someone for assistance.
There are a lot of possible reasons why your door is not closing and if the above list does not solve the problem, then your door will need an experienced eye to help identify the problem.
If the list above fixes your problem, always check if no other problems arise from the changes that you did.
To be sure that your problem would be fixed in the shortest possible time, you can try to seek assistance from GDR Los Angeles Garage Doors.
They have been in this industry for 12 years now, allowing them to master their craft to a certain level.
Rest assured, they are more than capable to attend to your garage door needs.
GDR Los Angeles also offers 24-hour repair services with the assurance that your problem is solved on the same day.
When it comes to fixing garage doors, then they are certainly perfect for the job.
For emergency repair services, contact GDR Los Angeles Garage Doors now!
