When you can open your garage door with ease, you will expect it to close the same way without giving you stress. But when it does not, you will wonder, “why will my garage door not close”
A clear sensor path helps the garage door to open and close freely. So, one of the reasons your garage door will not close is because there is a blockage in the sensor path. Although the sensor is what makes the garage door move free, the opener makes the door open manually or by an electric motor that works with batteries.
However, if your garage door will not close, and from your checking, the sensor path is clear, this article is your right guide.
Contents
What is the Reason Why My Garage Door Opener Opens But Does Not Close?
If your garage door opener does not close, the reason is that something has obstructed the sensor path, or the batteries are dead. When you face this, you need to clear the sensor path and replace the batteries.
The garage door opener functions as an operator that manages door weight, making it easy to open and close. So, if the spring is spoilt, or the trackers and rollers are damaged, the garage door will not close.
Asides from a broken spring or faulty trackers and rollers, a loose sensor wire or a spoilt control board can also stop it from closing.
Why Does My Garage Door Keep Stopping When Closing?
Your garage door keeps stopping when closing because an object has blocked the sensor path. Your garage door opener has sensors that make the opening and closing process easy. So, when it refuses to close, check the sensor path to be sure there is no obstruction.
Another reason could be a broken spring which will require a replacement. Asides from a blocked sensor path, there are other factors which include:
Blocked or Dirty Safety Eye
- Garage door openers are well-equipped with a device called “The Safety Eye”. This safety device consists of two parts found on each side of the garage door.
- As one of the essential parts of the garage door opener, the safety eye ensures that the door does not close down on objects or humans.
- So, if your garage door stops when opening, check that the safety is still working well.
Incorrect Set Limit
- The Limit Setting Screw is an automotive mechanism that gives the garage opener knowledge of the required length of movement to take at a go. If the settings are adjusted wrongly, the garage door will keep stopping.
Broken Cables
- Every garage door opener has a spring that makes it go up and down freely. Without the spring, the garage door will not open and close.
Why Does My Garage Door Only Close Halfway?
If your garage door begins to malfunction by only closing halfway, the reason is an obstruction in the safety sensor path. This obstruction usually happens when an object blocks the pathway.
Apart from that, another most common problem could be damaged trackers and rollers. So, also check the trackers and rollers to know if are damaged, or coated by rust that causes the garage door not to roll well.
If an object obstructs the sensor path, you will notice a light shine across the pathway when you try to open the door. This light is an indicator that lets you know that the sensor path is faulty.
Why Does My Garage Door Stop Halfway?
When your garage door begins to stop halfway, and the reason is not a blocked sensor, check the set limits of your garage door. The garage door functions automatically and has limits that increase or limit the force the door uses in the opening and closing process.
If you set the limit to the lowest minimum, the garage door will begin to function in a limited way by stopping halfway when you open it.
How Do I Adjust My Garage Door?
Before you adjust your garage door, locate the torsion spring on the top layer of the garage door. Once you locate this spring, you will be able to detect the one to replace, and the one that only needs an adjustment.
The garage door spring is a tool that helps reduce weight on the door and makes it easy for the door to open and close.
Garage doors are in different styles, and each has a specific type. But, the type of spring it has does not matter when you want to adjust your garage door because it all requires the same process.
Adjusting a garage door helps to put back the spring in good shape. Here are a few simple steps to follow:
- Check to ensure that there are no specks of dirt or blockage in the door.
- Fix damaged trackers and rollers by cleaning or oiling.
- Identify the type of spring your garage door uses to enable you to know how best to handle it.
- Prepare all the tools needed.
- Remove the identified spring from the hanger that houses the tracker.
- Then begin the adjustment prices either by loosening or tightening the spring tension.
Why Does My Garage Door Go Up a Foot Then Stop?
Garage door openers are built with resistant features that once the door feels heavier than it should, it will go up a foot and then stop. Apart from the resistant feature, you will find a torsion spring on the top of the garage door.
This spring reduces the weight and makes it easy for the garage door to open and close. If the torsion spring is broken or bent, it is also another reason that your garage door will not be able to go up a foot longer than the way it should.
Apart from the spring, your garage door can go up a foot and then stop because of the settings of the limits. The settings limits function as a tool that helps you increase or decrease the limit the garage can go whenever it is open or close.
If the setting adjustments are too low, your door will not go beyond or above the way you set it.
Why is My Garage Door Not Going All The Way Up?
A garage door should be able to pull up and down, but when it does not go up, it means the door is not balanced. Asides from the door being unbalanced, another reason your garage door refuses to go all the way up could be because the spring is full of rust.
The torsion spring is what makes the door pull up and down easily. So, if it is full of rust, it will block the free movement of the door.
Why Does My Garage Door Keep Going Back Up?
Your garage door keeps going back up because the safety eye is blocked. Every garage door has a switch called the safety eye, and this eye controls its movement. When the safety eye is blocked, your garage door will keep going back up.
Another tool that can make your garage door keep going back up is a spoilt control board. When this happens, you have to replace the board.
How Do I Reset the Tension on My Garage Door?
To reset the tension, you first need to check if your garage door is secured and well-balanced before you even think of resetting. Once the door is balanced, look for the hook that the track hanger stays inside and remove it.
The tensions on the garage door are very easy to reset. You can choose to set it very high, medium, or low. Since the default setting is always high, you will need to reset it to a lower level by removing the spring hook from the high hole to the lower hole.
How Do You Adjust the Tension on a Garage Door Spring?
Naturally, there are two levels on a garage door – the high and the low. To adjust the spring, insert each in the right hole. To adjust the tension of the spring on the garage door to a high level, remove the spring hook from the lower hole and fix it inside the high hole on the track holder.
If you want to adjust it to a low level, remove the spring hook from the top and fix it in the lower hole. Once done, test the spring by opening and closing the door at intervals to ensure that it lifts and pulls freely.
You also have to tighten the spring because if it is loose, the door will still stop halfway when lifting and puling up.
How Do I Fix the Gap on One Side of my Garage Door?
Gaps on one side of your garage can be frustrating because it makes it hard for you to open and close the door. Also, it allows pests like rodents and animals like snakes to enter your garage house.
To properly fix such the gap on the side of your garage door, you need to;
- First, check the trackers and rollers, then check the rubber seals along the edges of the garage door to ensure they are in order.
- Inspect the sides, and spot all gaps.
- Adjust the limit settings and make sure the springs are secured.
- Mix cement and sand with water, then use it to seal the space.
What Does a Torsion Spring Do on a Garage Door?
The function of the torsion spring on the garage door is that it helps to store mechanical energy that tightens the garage door when it is closed and loosens it when it is open.
Garage doors are easy to lift and pull because of the torsion springs. The spring helps to balance the weight and pressure of the door. If your garage door spring is full of rust, it will not function well.
If your spring breaks, and you try to open or close the garage door, it can cause the door to break. So, fix the spring before you try to open or close your garage door.
How Much Do Torsion Springs Cost?
Torsion Springs do not cost a fortune. The new springs cost about $30 to $100 per spring, while the replacement expenses cost about $75 to $150 each. This price also includes the money you will pay the person who will fix it and the one you will use to buy the materials.
Each door has two springs, and even though one can spoil before the other, you will have to change the two same time to avoid damage.
My Thoughts On Why Your Garage Door Is Not Closing
Sometimes, when your garage door refuses to stay close, it does not mean the door needs a quick replacement because the problem could be one you can fix.
Your garage door will not close if an object obstructs the sensor pathway. But, if the sensor path is not blocked, check the door to know why it is not closing.