3 Solutions For A Garage Door That Won’t Open

You fought your way home from the office in rush hour traffic, but now the garage door won't go up. There are a few reasons this could be happening to you, and most of them offer a pretty quick fix, assuming the power isn't out. Some of the first things to try are the easiest, and then you can get your garage door working as expected again.

Is the Carriage Disengaged?

Garage door openers have a pull cord, usually in bright red so you can't miss it, that disengages the carriage from the garage door opener. This is important so that if the power goes out, you can still use the door manually. If the cord gets pulled, say when a teenager hangs off of it for fun, then the carriage isn't attached and your garage door opener will run without opening the door. Re-engage the carriage and give the door opener another try.

Is the Chain Too Tight?

A too-tight chain on the garage door opener also causes serious problems when opening the garage door. The opener tends to slow down when the chain is too tight and you might hear grinding noises as the opener raises and lowers the door. The extra tension in the chain puts pressure on all the different parts of the garage door from the springs to the opener itself. If you start to notice that the door opens slower than usual, look for issues around the chain itself and loosen it to see if that corrects the problem.

How Do the Gears Look?

The gear that turns the chain wears down after normal use or as a result of too much pressure from the chain. When the gear wears down too much, the teeth on the gear can't catch the chain and the opener may slip or it may not open the door at all. Make it a habit to check the gear once or twice a year just to see how it is holding up. When the gear starts to look worn, replace it before it goes out so that you aren't stuck with a door that won't open at all.

If you're having problems opening your garage door and you can't figure out the right solution, call someone who can help you with your garage door repair (such as Casp Garage Doors). You'll be back in operation again before you know it. 


Share