GARAGE DOOR WON’T OPEN OR CLOSE WITH REMOTE CONTROL

Don’t you just hate it when technology doesn’t do what it is supposed to do? It doesn’t matter if the waffle iron has shorted out, or if your computer’s flat screen suddenly broke – we want and need our appliances and technological tools to work whenever we need them to. The same goes for your garage door opener and remote.

We have them installed for a reason; they move your Peachtree City, GA garage door up and down as needed. Maybe you are leaving for vacation and just want to think about the good times ahead. Or, you might have an important job interview and your mind is focused on that. The last thing on your mind is that your garage door remote has stopped working.

Should you call for repair?

Here at Peachtree City Garage Door Repair we often get calls about garage door opener and remote failure. There seems to be confusion at times what to do about it. We are often asked if we should step in or if the customer can service their own hardware. Our answer is; that depends. If the problem is your opener itself, it should be serviced by a garage door repair pro. If the problem is simply your remote, most always, you can fix the issue yourself. Keep reading and see in greater detail what we mean!

Do this first

If you suspect that your remote control is not working; do this first. Simply check your remote’s battery. Wasn’t that simple? You certainly don’t need a local Peachtree City, GA garage door expert for that. Just take out the battery from your remote and test it at home with your battery tester. Most testers are inexpensive and you can get a good one for between $5 and $10. If you don’t want to spend the money, or don’t have one already, simply take your battery to any local store that sells batteries and they will test it for you free of charge. Some of these stores include The Battery Store, Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, Lowe’s and Sears. You are under no obligation to buy a new battery from them but if you do need to replace yours, it might be nice gesture on your part to patronize their store.

Check the terminals too

Frequent dropping of your remote and/or frequent battery changes can loosen your remote’s battery terminals enough to cause the battery within to be ineffective. Fortunately, you can tighten your terminals yourself. Simply squeeze them together gently until they hold the battery tighter and with enough of a grip to transmit battery power as needed. If there are traces of leakage, be sure to clean that up with a cloth as battery fluid can also interfere with the effectiveness of your remote control.

Remote buttons

If your remote buttons are sticking or if you notice that you have to hit the button several times in order to make it work; then your remote may be worn out. Please don’t make the mistake of thinking that your entire opener system is damaged; it isn’t. Remote controls do wear out with age and use so if you have a spare, use it or order another unit from your opener manufacturer.

Also, older remotes can lose their programming and this can cause it to stop working. They simply can’t retain their memory so you’ll need to re-program yours if this is the case. Newer remote models don’t need this but yours might if it’s older. For directions on how to do this, refer to your owner’s manual or look it up online as almost all of them are available in PDF form.

Safety sensors

This is a tricky one. Many people are fooled into thinking that their remote is broken when in fact, it is not! It only seemed that way because when the remote button was pushed; nothing happened. Sometimes the problem is your safety sensors. Be sure to inspect your photo electric safety eyes and make sure that the LED lights are lit. If they are blinking or out, you should have them checked. While you are at it, look for frayed wires, unplugged system, misalignment and blockage by garage materials like tools, trash cans, bicycles, etc.

Also, clean any spider webs from your safety sensors as they not only block the signal, they are also so sticky that leaves, dead bugs and other debris cling to them and make the matter worse. Your sensor lenses should always be clean and clutter free. Use a soft cloth to wipe them every so often. If they appear to be misaligned, simply manually adjust them until the light is on again and the beams match up. Test your safety eyes by initiating your garage door movement and by intentionally blocking the signal.

Wall lock button

Some garage door opener systems have a lock button located on the wall unit inside the garage. This was designed as a safety and security system so that remotes cannot be used to open your door. It is usually activated when the residents go on vacation or out of town but leave the car (and usually the remote inside it) at home. Sometimes the lock is activated by accident or is forgotten and left on by mistake. It then does what it is supposed to do; block the garage door from opening! If your opener system includes this wall switch lock, release it and see if this ends your access problem.

Still need help?

If the problem still persists and you haven’t been able to make your remote control work as it should, it is probably time to call a specialist. Peachtree City, GA is home to many garage door repair experts that offer affordable prices, expert service and superior quality hardware. Why not call them and explain your situation? Be sure to relate to them all of the symptoms that you’ve noticed and what you’ve done to remedy the problem. Remote service for garage door openers is typically not expensive or complicated so the issue should be fixed quickly and without a big expense.