A stuck garage door can be the result of a simple obstruction or a broken part. Even with regular maintenance, garage doors can sometimes stick, refusing to open or close. A door that is stuck halfway open is a security risk, allowing access to the garage and the home, if it's attached. A stuck garage door needs prompt assessment so you can decide whether you can fix it or need professional help. Diagnosing the Problem To evaluate whether the problem lies with the door or the automatic opener, make sure the door is in the fully closed position, then disengage the opener trolly from the door by pulling the emergency release cord. Try to lift the garage door by hand. If the door opens smoothly by hand, the problem is with the opener. If the garage door still only opens halfway, the problem is with the door. Weather Effects If your stuck garage door coincides with weather changes, you may need to adjust the pressure on the opener. Some openers have a force-adjustment mechanism that controls the force that's applied to operate the door.
It's best to leave this adjustment to a garage door pro, as too much force may result in the door failing to stop when it should, posing a danger to people and objects in the door's path. Springs and Pulleys Garage door springs support most of the weight of the door when it's opening and closing. A broken spring typically will make the door very hard to lift, rather than causing the door to stick halfway. But some spring problems can contribute to a stuck door. The springs help turn metal wheels, called pulleys, that help lift the door via vertical cables at each side of the door. A pulley can become jammed by an obstruction or possibly a misaligned or hung-up cable. Any problems with springs or pulley should be examined by a garage door professional. Springs (and pulleys) are highly tensioned and can be very dangerous to work with. Obstructions Examine the garge door rollers, hinges, tracks, and other hardware for signs of damage that might cause the door to hang up. Lubricate the tracks and hardware with silicone spray or oil.
Raise the door slowly, watching it as it lifts. See if it catches on a warped panel or support beam or if an obstruction in the path of the photo eye causes it to stop or reverse. Any part that protrudes into the path of the garage door can cause it to stop. References DDM Garage Doors: Garage Door TroubleshootingGarage Door Care: Maintenance ChecklistPopular Mechanics: How to Fix Stuck or Broken Garage Doors Photo Credits Jupiterimages/Stockbyte/Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionGarage doors have built-in safety controls. A garage door stuck in the closed position may tempt you to crash on through, but don't let frustration get the better of you. Take a few minutes to troubleshoot some built-in safeties in your door that may prevent it from opening. Typical hotspots are the battery, the wiring and the electric eye that prevents your door closing on pets -- it can also prevent your door from opening. These simple checks can keep the repairman away and save you big bucks. Ensure the door isn't in "Vacation" or "Lock" mode when it won't respond to the remote from the outside.
When in one of these modes it may open once using the remote, then must be unlocked from the wall control inside the garage. Check the battery in your remote operator by walking into the garage holding it in your hand. Press the button as you observe a small blinking red light on the box where the chain enters and exits. If the door opens as you get very close to the box, but fails to open as you back away, the battery is low and needs to be replaced. When you can't see any blinking red light at all on top the box, the battery is dead. Click the remote as you are standing under the box but can still see the top. If you can see that the red light on top is blinking, it means that the battery is fine and that the problem exists somewhere else in the system. Locate the fine wires that run away from the control box on the ceiling. There are several inspection points, two run from the box to the manual switch on the wall -- most likely by the walk-in door, and four running from the back of the box to the electric eye locations on both sides of the door a few inches off the floor.
Hold the remote in one hand. Grab the wires a few inches back from their connection points with the other hand. Wiggle the wires one by one while pressing the remote switch with the other hand. If one of the wires is loose, when you wiggle it, it will cause the door to open. Shut off the power to the garage door opener. Use a screwdriver to tighten the wire. Turn the power back on and the door should open and close normally. Check the door's electric eye. This feature normally only fails when the door is already open and won't close, but some models won't work either way. Just a few inches off the floor on one side of the track, there are two small boxes that aim a beam across the floor at each other. If the beam is interrupted or won't align, the door may not work at all. Use a tissue to clean both electric eyes. The most often cause of this problem is a spider making a home in the eye, so if you're afraid of spiders, you might want to use something else to get him out of there. If you've cleaned the eyes but the door still won't budge, the eyes may be misaligned.
The two eyes should be pointing directly at each other. They are typically mounted on thin piece of metal that can be accidentally bent. If it is misaligned, you should be able to see this. You can't see the beam, but if you take the small box with your fingers, you can bend it. Bend it a little at a time, while clicking the remote until the door opens. Things You Will Need Ladder Spider removal tools Tip Warning References Mount Garage Doors: Troubleshooting Photo Credits Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionAutomatic garage doors are a true convenience when they work properly, but when they don’t, they become a frustrating hassle. Like all mechanical devices, garage doors and their openers are prone to faults that can prevent them from opening and closing like they’re supposed to. Here are some of the reasons why this might happen. Your garage door’s track and the opener’s chain both require sufficient lubrication in order to do their jobs. If either one is under-lubed, the door can become stuck when opening or closing.
To fix this problem, you will need to add more lubrication to both parts. You can use a standard machine oil either in a spray can or a bottle. However, the spray option will be much simpler to use, especially at odd angles. Most garage doors sit in a track made from aluminum, which is highly susceptible to warping and bending. Impacts from tools, ladders, cars or other objects can bend the track in such a way that the door is unable to open or close fully. Similarly, the freezing and thawing process of winter weather can cause the frame to become distorted and make the door jam. Depending on the location and severity of the damage, you may be able to repair the track without professional assistance or a new installation. Try using a hammer to pop out any dents. All modern electric garage door openers are required by law to come equipped with sensors for safety purposes. These are typically located on either side of the garage door near the ground. If something gets in the way, like a child or a pet, the sensors will prevent the door from opening or closing.