Understanding The Problem Of A Garage Door That Will Not Close
If you have an electric garage door opener attached to your garage door, then you may be surprised when the door fails to shut all the way. This is a common concern and something that you may experience if the opener is not working properly. This type of problem is something that may have a variety of causes and you can look at the movement of the door itself to try to figure out exactly what the issue is.
When The Door Closes Almost All The Way
When the garage door closes almost all the way and reaches close to the ground, then this is something that you may see when the garage door sensors are not working correctly. These sensors are a safety feature that helps to keep children, adults, and animals from being crushed under the weight of the door. The sensors also protect the door itself from damage by causing it to open if something is in the way of the door.
There are a few different reasons why sensors may be causing an issue when there is nothing blocking the door's path. The sensors release a beam of infrared light from one sensor to the other. If the beam is interrupted in any way or if the beam does not reach the receiving sensor, then the door will open back up. The beam-releasing sensor may have dislodged or broken wires, so check for this. Also, the sensors may not be aligned properly. In other words, the beam may not release straight to the other sensor.
If wiring looks correct and intact, then try to adjust the sensors. Most photo sensors will have green lights LEDs that light up when the sensors are aligned properly. Look for the light. If it is blinking or red, then try to manipulate the beam sending sensor by angling it up and down. You should see a green light if this aligns the beams. Try the garage door again.
When The Door Only Closes A Little
If the door only closes a small amount before opening again, then the issue is likely with the garage door track. Tracks that are excessively dirty may stop the door rollers from moving and force the door to open up. This also happens when the garage door track is bent out of place. If you notice that the door starts to move down the rounded edge of the track before abruptly moving back up, then the track is likely bent. Contact your garage door repair specialist for assistance. The professional may be able to bend the track back or install a new one for you.
If the track stops along a straight area or stops at different places around a curved section, then try to clean the track. Dish soap and water can be used for cleaning purposes and motor oil or WD40 can be used to lubricate it afterwards. Check out sites like http://garagedoorsofnaples.com/ for more information.