| Help! My Garage Door is Opening and Closing by Itself!
Are you currently dealing with a garage door that seems to have a mind of its own? Do you attempt to close your garage, only to have it open on you unexpectedly a few seconds later? There are several issues that can arise with automatic garage doors, including the unprompted action of opening or closing by itself.
This can be an extremely frustrating predicament for any homeowner, especially if you are in a hurry to get somewhere and need to lock up your garage properly or you have been dealing with the issue for an extended period of time. Luckily, there are several things you can try in order to get your garage door back in proper working order.
Why Does This Happen?
How do garage doors end up in this state in the first place? There are several possibilities. The first is that some sort of safety mechanism has been triggered. Automatic garage doors have sensors in them that are able to interpret if there are objects in the way of the garage door. If anything is noted in the garage door’s path upon descent, the garage door will reverse and open again on its own.
Weather can also interfere with how your garage door functions. During freezing and winter months, accumulation of snow and ice around your garage door can cause it to malfunction. The garage door may interpret ice build-up as some sort of object in the way and reverse.
Another possibility, though it is not as likely, is that one of your neighbors is causing the malfunction without even realizing it. This scenario really only applies to garage doors that were built after 1993. Prior to this date, automatic garage doors models all had similar access codes and programming. This made it so that one garage door opener may be able to open up other garage doors. The problem was corrected after 1993, however, with millions of codes now being used by garage door manufactures.
How to Resolve the Issue
No matter what the source of the problem is when it comes to your faulty garage door, there are several solutions you can try in order to get your garage functioning normally again, as well as how to prevent it from happening in the future.
Clear Your Garage of Debris
Especially during the winter months, you will want to make sure you keep your garage free of snow and ice. Clearing away any build-up from inclement weather will prevent the garage door from rolling back up due to these interferences.
Keep Items Away
If your garage door keeps rolling up on its own, make sure that any items in your garage are kept away from the door. Even objects within a few inches of the door may set off the safety trigger in the garage door.
Consult Your Garage Door Manual
While most garage doors operate similarly, there may be certain functions you should try that are specific to your garage door. Sometimes, a reset of the garage door or a simple reprogramming of some sort can help reset and correct the issue. You may also try contacting a representative from the company that produced your garage door motor for more specific solutions.
Consider that it May Be a Circuit or Wiring Issue
These sorts of issues may be more difficult to detect on the surface, but it is possible that your garage door has experienced some sort of circuit breaker issue or the wires have become loose or misaligned. If you have experienced any power surges or even thunder strikes near your home prior to having garage door issues, it is possible that a wiring issue or power surge may be to blame.
Check the Garage Motor for More Information
Some garage door models will have specialized indicators that will light up during certain instances. For example, if the garage door sensors detect an object in the way of the garage door, a small light on the motor may turn on, alerting the owner to the issue. Other signals may be inherent to your garage door model, so it is important to check the physical garage door motor visually to see if you can gather more information that way. Also, be sure to check for any loose wires around the motor or indicators that something may be wrong with the motor itself and thus could be the source of the issue.
Hire a Garage Door Company to Help!
If you have attempted the troubleshooting steps listed above and are still coming up short when it comes to resolving your garage door issue, it is time to call a garage door company. A garage door service provider can help determine the source of your garage door troubles, as well as help you resolve it quickly.
You may need to call a garage door company immediately if you are unable to get your garage door shut, since leaving you garage door open unattended for any length of time will leave your home vulnerable to theft. Most garage doorbusinesses are able to accommodate same-day garage door repair requests for this reason.