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Garage Door Won’t Open

What should you do when your garage door is stuck?

Most homeowners use their garage doors every single day. They’re often a family’s main point of entry into their home, so it’s really frustrating when they don’t open as expected.

Here are a few things to check when you find yourself (and your car) stuck with a garage door that won’t open, and when it’s a good idea to call a professional to take a look.

If your garage door won’t open, it’s probably because…

  • Your remote needs new batteries – This is the easiest fix. If your garage door doesn’t respond to the remote at all, try replacing your batteries and see if that fixes the problem.
  • The opener isn’t getting power – If your power cord is properly placed in the socket, make sure the outlet itself is receiving power. Keep in mind that outlets are sometimes controlled by nearby switches.
  • The keypad needs to be synced – Your keypad and garage door remote can occasionally become out of sync. You can find instructions on how to re-sync the keypad with the remote in the user manual for your opener.
  • The door’s components need lubrication – This is a really common problem, especially in colder months. Lubricate your components and tracks with a silicone- or lithium-based lubricant (not WD40). If you aren’t comfortable lubricating your garage door parts yourself, give us a call.
  • Your sensor is blocked – Photo eyes are an essential, mandatory safety feature in all garage doors manufactured after 1993. They prevent your door from closing when something is in their path. Try cleaning any dust and debris off the lenses and making sure nothing is tripping the sensor.
  • The door was manually locked – Make sure your garage door wasn’t locked on accident. Some garage doors have a slide lock that’s easy to accidentally engage. Your remote may also automatically lock your door if you held down the close button for several seconds, so try holding the button down again to deactivate the lock.

In an emergency, you can manually open your garage door.

Discovering your garage door won’t open – especially if you need to hurry out in the morning – is never a great way to start the day.

But don’t worry, you aren’t stuck! If the simple fixes above don’t work, you can still make an exit by manually opening your garage door using the emergency release cord.

1. Make sure that your garage door is closed. If it won’t open, this shouldn’t be a problem, but it should be completely closed for safety reasons. This prevents the garage door from collapsing if your springs break.

2. Pull the emergency release cord. It hangs from your garage door trolley and it’s typically red. Once you pull it, you should be able to open the door.

3. Open your door. Then, once you’ve exited the garage, be sure to completely close your door.

4. Pull the emergency release cord back toward the door. This re-engages the carriage by compressing the spring lever and allowing the two components to connect.

While we don’t recommend using the emergence release cord unless absolutely necessary, it’ll work in a pinch.

If your garage door won’t open, be sure to contact Precision as soon as possible. Call us 24/7 at 888-599-5808
or Schedule an Appointment

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When in Doubt, Call the Pros

Your garage door may not be opening because of more serious issues, including:

Attempting to fix a garage door yourself can be very dangerous. When in doubt, it’s best to call trusted professionals who can safely inspect your door and repair it using only the highest-quality parts.

Garage door repair technician inspecting a garage door

Precision is Ready To Help!

Our expert technicians repair all major garage door and opener brands, and our work is backed by an industry-leading warranty. Call any time to schedule your appointment. We'll be here when you need us.