Why Your Remote Control Won’t Open or Close Your Garage Door

Nobody likes the idea of coming home from a hard day of work and all they want to do is get in the house to unwind but they can’t open the garage door. This is something that we hear about all the time at Tucker Garage Door, LLC in Tucker, GA. Your remote control seems to be the problem. This isn’t a problem that can’t be fixed with the help of one of our service technicians. However, even before you have to contact us, we will tell you how you can help yourself. You might think that the only way that you can resolve the problem is by contacting a garage door service but we’ll prove you wrong. With the right information, you may actually be able to help yourself. We obviously welcome your business but we understand that there are actually some things that our customers can handle themselves. Any garage door service provider would love to have your business but we firmly believe in enabling you to help yourself, if and when possible. The type of problem that we set out describing could happen to anyone without notice. We will equip you to do some troubleshooting prior to contacting us to help with the problem.

Troubleshooting The Problem

We are going to state the obvious, check to make sure you have batteries in the remote control. You may not know it but this is usually the reason so many of our customers have trouble with their remote, they don’t have batteries in the remote. Dah! We know this is a silly thing to say but it’s true. So go ahead and try to see if this is the case. You may have batteries in the remote but they may be hold and need replacing. Go ahead and replace the batteries in your remote control to see if this helps the problem.

Surprisingly, you may actually have a problem with the battery terminal. When the battery is replaced time and time again then the terminals could begin to loosen so much that they are unable to do the job they are intended to do. You can press them together so that they become as tight as possible so that there is a better connection. This is the best way to get a good connection. It is also a good idea to clean the terminal battery because this can also affect the way that the batteries perform.

Your remote buttons might be sticking too because of excess usage and even wear and tear. Remotes do wear out and they can be damaged when handled roughly. If you’re hitting the open and close button a lot of times and you still are not getting the results you want then it is time to do something about it by getting a new remote control.

If you have an older remote control then it may just need to be re-programmed. Newer remote controls don’t usually need this but the older ones are unable to hold the memory and therefore may require reprogramming. You can look at your owner’s manual to see how you can do this for the model of remote that you have. If you can’t find your owner’s manual, don’t worry because most of them can also be found online in PDF format.

Safety Sensors

Surprisingly, the reason that your garage door may not be opening doesn’t have anything to do with your garage door remote control. It could be due to a problem with your garage door sensors or safety eyes, which they are sometimes referred to. There is a sensor on both sides of the garage door. Check to see that the sensors LED lights are on and working. If you notice that there is one out or blinking, you’ll have to resolve this problem. Look for frayed or cut wires. You want to make sure there is nothing that is loose causing the problem.

Also, if something is obstructing the sensors. There could be anything as simple as a rope that is hanging down blocking them. Perhaps there is a small trashcan that is in front of them. You can simply remove whatever you think is obstructing the sensors to see if this resolve the matter. It is simple for you to just bump or nudge something that gets in the way. It is fairly easy to do but when it is done, it’s the last thing that you might think of. However, this is a little reminder that there could be something that you’ve nudged that is blocking the sensors.

You also want to make sure that the lenses of the sensors are clean. If they are not clean this will definitely affect the way that the garage door functions. You certainly don’t need us to clean the lenses. All that you need is to take a soft cloth and some water to gently wipe the lenses. Don’t wipe them too hard or you could scratch the lenses, which would make the situation worse.

Sensors may also need to be re-aligned. When they are not aligned they are not pointing in the right direction. This means that they lose their focus. You could tighten the brackets to hold the beams in place so that they are not easily moved.

Consult Your Owner’s Manual

The Owner’s Manual was written for a reason. If you are experiencing trouble with your garage door remote opening and closing the garage door then it is a good idea to read your manual to find out why. It will also discuss practical ways for you to resolve the problem yourself. Just like checking the battery is the obvious first step to take, reading the manual is also an obvious step in resolving your remote control problem. You won’t be the first or the last person to experience a problem with your garage door not opening and closing with the remote. Which is why we have written this information.