The Garage Door Owner

What's your garage door doing?

Pick the symptom. See what you can check yourself, the point where you stop, and what a door technician will do, from the federal opener rule and the makers' own manuals. We sell nothing.

What's it doing?

You check Power to the opener, the remote and the wall button, the wall control's lock feature, and any manual lock on the door

Stop if You heard a bang, a cable hangs loose, or the motor runs and the door stays put

Technician Springs, cables and drums, and the opener's drive and board

Garage door won't open

You check The photo-eye lights, lenses clean and lined up, nothing in the beam, the wall control's lock feature off

Stop if The door binds, sags or runs crooked in its tracks

Technician Tracks, rollers, the door's balance and the opener's safety system

All six symptoms

You check Nothing in the door's path, the photo eyes clean and lined up, then the travel setting by your opener's manual, and the reverse test again

Stop if It still fails the monthly reverse test: don't use the opener until it's fixed

Technician Door balance, binding hardware, force and travel, and the sensors

All six symptoms

You check Look, don't touch: a gap in the spring above the door, or a cable hanging loose

Stop Now. Don't run the opener, and don't pull the release on an open door: it can fall

Technician Both springs, the cables and drums, then the door's balance

Broken garage door spring

You check Keep people and cars clear, and don't run the door again

Stop if A roller is out of its track, or the door is crooked or hanging

Technician Tracks, rollers, cables and the door's balance

Garage door off track

You check Count the flashes or read the code, then check the photo eyes are clean and lined up

Stop if The code comes back after the maker's own check, or points to the motor or board

Technician Whatever the maker's code points to: board, motor, travel or sensors

Opener blinking lights and codes

What the federal opener rule and the door makers let owners check, where to stop, and what a door technician does. After a loud bang or with a cable hanging loose, don't run the door.

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How we check.

The federal opener rule, 16 CFR 1211, quoted; door and opener makers' manuals by model and date; DASMA's technical sheets by number. We sell nothing and refer no one.

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