How to Deal With a Garage Door Emergency
You may not realize how much you depend on your garage door until it stops working, and you are left without a functioning garage door. But what constitutes a garage door emergency?
There are a variety of potential situations you could find yourself in with your garage door that may be considered problems. In fact, any time it stops working suddenly and unexpectedly can be classified as an emergency.
However, one of the most inconvenient problems is when your garage door suddenly refuses to close. When your garage door is left entirely or half open, not only are your belongings at risk of being stolen but your house is also easier to break into.
On top of that, if your car is still parked inside your garage and the door cannot open all the way, you may be kept from driving to work, appointments, or wherever else you need to go.
Thus, it is obvious why a garage door stuck open is considered a true emergency. This kind of scenario definitely requires a quick fix, or else it can cause some major concerns. Fortunately, there are a number of measures you can take if you ever face this kind of problem.
How You Can Handle a Garage Door Emergency
If your garage door suddenly stops working and is unable to close, there could be a few potential causes worth investigating if you want to figure out a prompt solution.
The following are some of the best ways that you can handle a garage door emergency where the door simply will not close:
1.Check the sensors
In some cases, your garage door’s sensors could be the root of the problem if the door is not closing. Garage door sensors are mounted near the floor by the tracks, and they are there as a safety precaution to detect when small children, pets, or other obstructions are blocking the garage door’s path. However, sometimes the lenses on these sensors can get dirty, which causes them to send a false signal to the opener’s control board.
In this case, wiping the sensor lenses clean with a soft cloth will typically help solve the problem. If you notice a blinking light coming from the sensors, it could mean there is an issue with their alignment. You should loosen and adjust one of them until the light stops blinking and they are realigned.
2.Check the tracks and rollers
If your sensors are not the source of the problem, it could be that there is an obstruction causing an issue somewhere along the tracks, so you should examine them next. If one of the tracks is bent, you can attempt to bend it back to its normal position using clamps or very careful hammer strikes.
Just be very careful not to overbend them when trying to manipulate them back into shape, as it is easy to damage a track permanently if you are not cautious. Stuck rollers can have a similar effect, so if it seems as though several of them are stuck, you should grease them with white lithium or silicone-based grease.
3. Check the trolley
The trolley is the mechanism that connects the garage door to the opener. It usually has a rope hanging that engages and disengages the door from the chain driven by the garage door opener.
If you notice that your garage door is moving freely by hand, this is a sign that the trolley is possibly in bypass mode, which you can disengage by pulling the rope towards the door. After you have activated the garage door opener, the trolley should latch back onto the chain and work properly again.
4. Check your remote
If your garage door is not closing with your remote, the remote batteries might need to be replaced. However, if there was a recent power surge, it could have wiped the garage door opener’s memory clean, meaning you may need to reprogram the remote to get it working again.
Using a ladder, carefully access your garage door opener, and open the rear flap or remove the light cover. You will need to press a large “learn” button until you see a light flashing. Then, press a button on your remote, and it should work again.
5. Adjust the limit screws
If the problem seems to be that your garage door is stopping without retracting, it may be necessary to adjust the limit screws, which have contacts that tell the garage door opener how far to open or close. Again, using a ladder, you should carefully remove the garage door opener’s rear flap or light cover.
When you see two plastic adjustment screws labelled “up” and “down,” use a flathead screwdriver to twist the “down” screw in quarter-turn increments. Check how the door operates between each adjustment, and continue until the door closes all the way.
How Profix Garage Door Repair Can Help You With Any Garage Door Emergency
If all else has failed, or if you are nervous about attempting some of the measures described above, there is no shame in calling for professional assistance. Profix Garage Door Repair is the best option to call for emergency garage door repair in the GTA.
In fact, sometimes it is better to call professionals like us right away, as we can save you a ton of time and hassle by providing quick and effective solutions to any of your garage door problems.
Our team of experts is ready to assist you 24 hours a day, seven days a week, because we understand that garage door emergencies can arise when you least expect them, and speedy fixes are essential. After arriving at your house, one of our skilled technicians will perform a thorough assessment of your garage door to isolate the problem and identify exactly what needs to be done.
Our emergency garage door services include broken garage door springs repair, broken rollers replacement, garage door cable repair, garage door opener repair, bent garage door tracks, garage door replacement, and garage door panel replacement. No matter which of these services you require, we will arrive quickly and equipped with all the necessary tools and parts to get your garage back in working order with a long-term solution.
For more information about our 24-hour emergency garage door repair services or to learn more about our other garage maintenance and repair services, call Profix Garage Door Repair at 855-545-5220 or contact us here.