Garage doors have already become the main entryway for many homeowners. But when the door is stuck in a close position, it can be pretty frustrating. You may be tempted to crash it through. But that doesn’t make sense at all. Take a few steps to troubleshoot some safety features of the door that is preventing it to open. It can be the remote control, wires, and electric photo eyes. Read on to learn some tips to troubleshoot a garage door that won’t open. 

How To Troubleshoot A Garage Door That Won’t Open

Check if The Opener is Properly Plugged In

First and foremost, make sure that the opener is plugged in. One of the most common reasons why a garage door won’t open is because the electrical cord might be loose or not plugged in properly. 

Check if The Garage Is In “Vacation” or “Lock”  Mode

“Vacation” mode is designed to keep your home safe while you are away or on a vacation. This mode prevents the remote control from opening your garage door. When the door is not responding, it might have set accidentally to “vacation” or lock mode. If it is in this mode, you may open it for one time using your remote and then unlock it from the wall switch inside the garage.

The Remote May Not Be Working

If you suspect that your remote is not working, you can take several steps to check it. 

• Inspect the remote battery. Walk into your garage, press the button, and observe the small blinking LED light. If it doesn’t light up, then the battery is dead. You can either use the second remote or replace the battery. 

• The remote signal may be blocked by radio frequency interference. Radiofrequency interference happens when two or more signals are interfering with each other, causing a conflict. Climb a ladder and check the remote’s signal by trying it directly next to the opener’s motor. If it is properly working, then there be some lights or video game console that is blocking the signal.

• Try to reset the opener’s remote. If you can open the door when using the keypad mounted on the wall, you may need to reset the remote. Make sure to read the owner’s manual because resetting the remote differs by manufacturer’s. But it is an easy fix.

Inspect if the Trolley Opener Is Disengaged

The trolley moves together with a chain or a belt which is called a carriage. Trolleys function to push the arm and close the door and at the same time, pulls the arm and open the door.  On the other hand, the chain or belt is used to disengage the opener from the trolley. When the opener is disengaged, it will not open or close your door. Check the trolley and reconnect it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 

Check The Garage Door’s Photo Eye

 Photo eyes are the small sensors that signal the door to stop shutting when it has detected something along with its path. It is a safety feature that prevents the door from crashing on pets or small children. It has two sensors, a few inches above the floor, and one on each side of the garage door. One sensor aims a beam towards the other. If the beam is interrupted or dirty,  the door will not move either way.  Clean both electric eyes with a soft cloth or tissue, then open the door again. 

Furthermore, if cleaning the eyes did not make the door to change and open, the eyes may be misaligned. These electric eyes should be pointing at each other. Check to see if they are properly aligned. If not, bend it a little at a time and keep clicking the remote until the door opens. 

Look for the fine wires that are loose or discarded

There are several points to check; two points that run from the manual switch mounted on the wall and four are running from the back of the box to the locations of the photo eyes. 

To identify the wire, hold the remote, then pull the wires a few inches back from their connection points. While pressing the button on the remote, shake the wires one by one. When one wire is loose when you shake it, the door will open. Find the wire and turn off the power to your garage door. Tighten the wire using a screwdriver then turn on the power again. The door should now open and close the normal way.

Caution: Never try to wiggle or shake any wires unless your fingers are far from the connections. If these wires are loose, they may totally get loosen from the connection. Be prepared especially if you are on a ladder. 

How To Open A Garage Door Manually

If your garage door is not opening even after doing everything and you need to get your car outside of your garage, look for a red cord that hangs from the track. Pull it and it will release the door from the track. You can now raise the door manually. However, do not pull the cord if the door is stuck open. It might crash down. 

Contact Garage Door Professionals

If all these troubleshooting tips fail, contact a professional garage door repairman. Failure to open the garage door may need a professional inspection. There could be gears in your garage door that hinder its smooth operation and may need to be replaced. Or, your opener may have already reached its average lifespan and that you may need to install a new one.  

At, Inland Overhead Door, we offer garage door inspection and maintenance services. If you need your garage door opener inspected, contact us today.