I Like To Exterior Services

What fails on a house, why it fails, and what it should cost

Home/Garage door wont close

Garage doors · Check the photo eyes first

Garage door wont close

A door that starts down then reverses is almost always the photo eyes. A door that will not move at all is usually a broken spring or a stripped opener gear, and that one is not a job to force.

Quick answerA door that starts down then reverses is almost always the photo eyes. A door that will not move at all is usually a broken spring or a stripped opener gear. Both photo-eye lights should be steady, not blinking. If the door is heavy to lift by hand with the release cord pulled, that is a spring problem and the opener should not be used until it is fixed.

How the door fails tells you most of what you need to know. Watch it once: does it start down and come back up, stop partway, or not move at all? Each of those points to a different part, and the cheapest checks come first.

A closed white sectional garage door set in a brick wall
A sectional door relies on its springs for lift and its photo eyes for permission to close. Photo by Julia Rodriguez on Unsplash.

1Why a garage door won’t close

What the door doesUsual cause
Starts down, then reversesPhoto eyes blocked, dirty or out of alignment
Closes only while you hold the wall buttonThe opener is overriding a photo-eye fault. Fix the sensors
Won’t move at all, motor hums or runsBroken spring, or a stripped drive gear on a chain drive
Won’t move, no soundNo power, a tripped outlet, or a wiring or board fault
Stops or binds partwayBent track, worn rollers, or a door too heavy for the opener

The photo eyes are the most common cause by far. Sun angle, a cobweb or a knock will misalign them, and the opener reads any break in the beam as something in the doorway.

2How to check it

  1. Look at the photo-eye lightsBoth sensor lights near the floor should be steady, not blinking. A blinking or dark light means the beam isn’t connecting.
  2. Clean and realign the sensorsWipe the lenses, clear cobwebs and anything in the doorway, and make sure the two sensors point straight at each other. If low sun is shining into one, try closing the door at another time of day to confirm.
  3. Check powerLook for lights on the opener head, and reset any tripped GFCI or breaker.
  4. Feel the door’s weightWith the door fully closed, pull the release cord and try lifting it by hand. A balanced door lifts with modest effort. If it is very heavy, that is a spring problem.
  5. Look along the tracksBent track, a roller out of its track or a frayed cable at the bottom drum all mean the door should stay put until it is repaired.
Heavy door? Stop using the opener

If the door is heavy to lift with the release cord pulled, the spring has likely failed. Don’t run the opener and don’t pull the release with the door open: a door with a broken spring is very heavy and can drop. See garage door spring broken.

3DIY or pro

Do it yourself

  • Clean and realign the photo eyes
  • Clear the doorway and the sensor path
  • Reset a tripped GFCI or breaker
  • Replace the remote battery if only the remote fails

Call a pro

  • The door is heavy with the release pulled
  • A broken spring, frayed cable or bent track
  • A stripped drive gear or dead logic board
  • The opener fails the reverse test after the sensors are fixed

Springs and cables hold a great deal of stored tension. Adjusting or replacing them is a job for a trained technician with the right tools. Once the door closes, test the safety reverse: wave a broom handle through the opening near the floor while it closes. It must reverse.

Garage door opener not workingTorsion vs extension springs

4What drives the cost

Realigning photo eyes costs nothing but a few minutes. Beyond that, price depends on what failed: replacement sensors or a drive gear are small repairs, while springs, cables and track work cost more and depend on the door’s size, weight and spring type. On an old opener with a failed board, replacing the unit can make more sense than repairing it. If a spring has failed, that repair comes before any opener work.

Garage door cost

Door won’t close and feels heavy?

Talk to a local garage door technician who will check the springs and balance before touching the opener.

877-360-4657

5Questions

Why does my garage door go down and then back up?

Almost always the photo eyes. Something is breaking the beam, the lenses are dirty, or one sensor has been knocked out of line. Check that both lights are steady, not blinking.

Can I just hold the wall button to close it?

Many openers let you do that to close past a sensor fault, but it bypasses the safety system. Use it only to secure the house, watch the door all the way down, and fix the sensors.

Why does it only fail in the afternoon?

Low sun shining straight into a sensor can blind it. Realigning the sensor or shading it usually fixes the problem.

The door won’t move at all. Is the opener dead?

Not necessarily. A broken spring makes the door too heavy to lift, and a stripped gear lets the motor run without moving the door. Check the door’s weight with the release cord pulled before blaming the opener.

Written by Jaylan Jones. I Like To Exterior Services earns a referral fee when a call connects to a contractor. See our business-model disclosure.

877-360-4657