Common Overhead Door Complaints
We genuinely want to help any way possible. Below are some common queries regarding overhead garage doors and openers. Some of the questions are to assist diagnosing issues. Others are to provide clarity for our products and services. Safety first: Do not operate a door with children or pets nearby; Do not pull emergency release with door open; Do not operate door with broken spring or frayed cable; Do not try to adjust springs.
If you still have unanswered questions, or perhaps a whole lot of new ones! – Please don’t hesitate to send us an email at sales@mountainfoxdoors.net or give us a call directly at (719) 265-9032.
1. MY GARAGE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN
Try to manually open your door after pulling the emergency release cord on your opener… If you still cannot get the door to open, it is usually a broken spring. If you are able to manually operate the door, it is very likely your opener that needs service.
2. MY GARAGE DOOR OPENS PARTIALLY, THEN STOPS
It is quite likely you have a broken spring. Sometimes the opener is strong enough to lift the garage door with only one spring; however, if the spring is broken do not open the door with the opener because it is likely to damage/wear out your motor.
If the spring is not broken, an adjustment is very possible-either the torsion spring tension and/or the operator’s force settings.
3. MY OPENER MOTOR IS RUNNING, YET MY DOOR WON’T OPEN
Sometimes it may be as simple as having the emergency manual release cord pulled. First, check to ensure that it is engaged. If it is definitely engaged and still not operating the door, you likely have either a stripped trolley or stripped/broken parts within the internal plastic gears.
4. MY GARAGE DOOR DOES NOT CLOSE / WON’T STAY CLOSED
If your garage door comes down some then goes right back up, it may be the opener’s photo safety sensors at the bottom of your door. Be sure to re-align those photo eyes. Usually there is a solid light on both beams if there is a good connection. Inspect the wiring on each photo cell sensor. Sometimes it is as simple as wiggling the wire to get it to work again. Also, check the mounting of the photo safety sensors. Be sure the brackets attaching the eyes to the door’s track have not come loose. There is a small butterfly bolt that you may loosen to adjust the sensors into alignment. After proper adjustment has been made, make sure to tighten the butterfly bolt. It would be wise to check that the vibration of the door/track while operating does not cause the sensors to lose connection again…
5. I HAVE 1 GREEN AND 1 RED/ORANGE LIGHT ON MY PHOTO SENSORS
This is actually correct!
There should be a light on each photo eye, yet they are not typically the same color.
If the red light is out, then it is not getting power (due to defective wire or just having a defective sensor).
If the green light is out, there is likely something in the way of the beam.
6. WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT MY DAMAGED GARAGE DOOR PANEL(S) ?
If the crack is caught early enough, it may be possible to simply install a strut to reinforce the section and keep it from buckling. Furthermore, we would do our best to “pop” out any visible dents or dings.
If the damage is severe enough, you may need to consider replacing the section(s). Unfortunately, this repair tends to be quite pricey… Typically, the cost to replace even a single panel amounts to about a third of the total cost of a new garage door (all sections, track, hardware, springs, etc.)
To assess the degree of damage as well as associated cost to repair/replace, it would be best to schedule a free estimate.
7. WHY IS MY GARAGE DOOR CROOKED?
Perhaps your cable has “jumped,” meaning it has unwound from the drum. Consequently, one side has lost tension while the other is still taut. Obviously, this would result in a crooked door! Or there may be a point where the track is disconnected.
Another possibility: a broken spring… Some things are difficult to diagnose simply over the phone; however, we do provide you with a free estimate for repair/replace prior to starting any work. In fact, you may schedule yourself an appointment right now by clicking here!
8. CAN I PAINT MY GARAGE DOOR?
Absolutely! Steel doors should be painted with any high quality, exterior, latex paint (dries hard, thus will not stick). It is imperative that you apply at least 2 coats as well….
Wood doors are best to stain or paint prior to installation. We recommend wood doors be re-painted/stained every 2-3 years… Due to our severely dry Colorado climate as well as the intensity of our sun, more frequent finishes may be be optimal to retain the value of your investment!
9. MY REMOTE HAS QUIT WORKING
If your remote has suddenly stopped opening your door, first replace the batteries.
Perhaps your remote/opener has lost the codes either due to a power outage or power surge. You will then need to reprogram the remote(s) to the operator head.
If your remote is working on occasion or only in very close range to the garage door, it may be that your remote is too close to the inside roof of your vehicle. Or perhaps you have a defective transmitter or other various reception issues….
→TO REPROGRAM UNIVERSAL LIFTMASTER or “Clicker” REMOTE:
NOTE: Start with garage door closed.
- Push button on your remote.
- Push (do not hold) the “smart” or “learn button” on the back of your opener (the unit mounted from your ceiling NOT your remote).
- Select button to program on remote; Code has been accepted when you hear a “click” from your opener motor OR the garage door opens OR the light in opener turns on.
→TO REPROGRAM OTHER LIFTMASTER REMOTE:
- Quickly press and release the “learn button” on back of the operator (like ringing a doorbell- do NOT hold!).
- Press and hold the remote button to program (about 15 seconds).
→TO CLEAR or ERASE ALL REMOTE CODES:
- Push “smart/learn button” on the back of your opener.
- Hold it for about 15 seconds.The light will flash; you may now let go.
If you need further assistance programming your remote or have a different brand, please call us at (719) 265-9032, and we will do our best to walk you through it over the phone!
10. MY DOOR SQUEAKS WHEN IT OPENS & CLOSES
All the metal components on your garage door may squeak causing a rather unpleasant sound to your ears… Since the cause tends to be typical, normal use of your door, it does not indicate a problem necessarily. More than likely, a simple tune-up service will do the trick.
Specifically, the metal moving parts on your garage door (springs, rollers, hinges, operator rail) are in need of lubrication. If you would like to do the service yourself, be sure to use a lubricant that is specifically for use on garage doors. Do not use WD-40!
11. MY GARAGE DOOR OPENS AWKWARDLY
If your garage door is operating with a jerky motion or accompanied by loud noises rather than operating efficiently and smoothly as it should, this may be due to a lack of regular maintenance for the garage door/garage door opener. We recommend annual maintenance (safety/visual inspection, reversal test, balance test, tighten all hardware, lubrication and any necessary adjustments to both the door and opener). Sounds like a tune up service call would remedy the existing issues, which could be scheduled now by clicking here!
12. I HAVE A FRAYED or BROKEN CABLE
It would be a safe assumption to suppose the least you will need is a replacement set of cables. We strongly recommend that you do not do the work yourself due to the high tension of the torsion spring system. Improper knowledge with these types of systems may result in serious injury or even death. Please schedule a service appointment. Our technician will come out to your residence, inspect the issue(s), and provide an estimate for repair/replacement prior to starting any work.
However, if you currently have an extension spring assembly to operate your door, the safety cables may be replaced by someone not certified to work on garage doors [due to the less severe injury potential].
13. I HAVE BLACK RESIDUE ON MY GARAGE DOOR
If black marks are visible on the exterior of your garage door, they are likely a result of the oil-coating which comes on the torsion springs. We recommend annual maintenance as well as an annual cleaning/washing of the door to remove these spots/streaks.
As always, give us a call at (719) 265-9032 if you have any additional questions or would like further assistance.