There is nothing we may subconsciously value more during the course of our day than a working garage door remote. Simply press the button and you can be in or out of your garage in moments. Truly magical. On the other hand nothing can be more enraging then your garage door not being able to open or close.

As an expert in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area with garage door repairs and replacements, we know there may be a number or reasons your garage door may not be working. If you have a non-functional garage door remote, here are some common reasons and solutions:

1. Your Garage Door Remote Might Have Dead Batteries

A garage door opener is a lifesaver. You use it each and everyday, usually multiple times a day. It can be extremely common for the garage door to have a dead battery. If your remote has an indicator light, it may begin to look dimmer or not blink whatsoever when you press it. This is typically a sign that it may just need a battery replacement.

This is simple and quick fix. Replace the batteries and get your garage door opener working again!

2. Your Garage Door Opener May Have LED Light Bulbs

LED light bulbs can be a wise choice for low power consumption and higher brightness levels, but they are also known to interfere with garage door remotes. Often homeowners are not able to get a remote to work after they replace the batteries because an LED light bulb interrupts the signal to the opener. This can be why your remote may be working up close to the opener but does not seem to work from far away.

This can also be a quick and easy fix. Use CFL or incandescent bulbs instead. If you don't have any extra bulbs lying around, remove the LED bulb to see if that solves the problem. Some openers that have built in LED light strips are not usually affected by this problem.

3. Your Garage Door Opener May Have Issues With Safety Sensors

Eye sensors or safety sensors are the small boxes that are placed a few inches from the garage floor on either side of the garage door that will stop the door from closing if the sensors pick up that something is blocking the line of sight between them using infrared signals. Older openers may not have these, but any garage door after 1993 have been required to use these sensors for safety reasons.

Typically, openers will have safety sensors with LED light indicators that show whether the system is working. LiftMaster sensors will have one transmitter sensor and a receiver sensor, and most manufacturers have a similar setup. Both sensors are required to stay lit during operation in order for the door to close correctly. If an interruption is detected in the signal, the door will back up part way while closing, or will not close at all. If your LED lights on the sensors are blinking during the operation, that is a clear sign that your garage door’s safety sensors are not working.

Here are some common causes for safety sensor issues:

• Obstructions. Anything from a vehicle to a basketball or even a cobweb can disrupt the signal between sensors. Remove anything blocking the sensors, and make sure the sensors themselves are clean.

• Misalignment. If the safety sensors are ever bumped out of place or removed from their mounts, this will also interrupt the line of sight between them. Repositioning the sensors back so the LEDs stay lit and tightening them by hand should get it fixed.

• Unsecure installation. If the sensor mount or the hardware that it is attached to moves during operation, it can disrupt the signal. Tracks that are not installed properly can lead to this problem. Even the slightest movement can be enough to cause the door to stop or reverse its course. Tightening the bolts or screws holding everything in place may help.

• Bad wiring. A severed wire will cause the sensor to not function at all, look for any cut, mangled, or chewed wires. A poor connection can lead to operational issues. As your garage door opener system gets older, or if connections are not protected from the elements, they may fail over time or only work occasionally.

4. Circuit/Logic Board Issues May Be The Cause

The logic board receives input signals from remotes, sensors and the wall control. It controls the electro-mechanical functions of the garage door opener. Replace the logic board if it doesn't receive input signals or doesn't control components properly. Replacing a circuit or logic board is relatively easy, but is the most expensive repair on an opener along with a gear and sprocket replacement. It is recommended to replace the whole opener in most cases to prevent further issues in the future, especially if your opener is over 7 years old.

5. Check for Obstructions

Have you had your garage door begin to close, then stop, then go back up? If so there is most likely something blocking the door’s typical operation. Garage door openers have an adjustable force setting, which tells the system to reverse the door if something is blocking the door while closing. Just like the eye sensors this is designed to avoid property damage and personal injury. Unlike safety sensor issues, the opener doesn’t blink several times when the operation is not working properly.

Most obstructions, like your sons bike, will be obvious. In some cases however, there could be something much more subtle leading to the same problem. Be sure to check the tracks for debris or anything that could be blocking the rollers or cables, especially near the track hardware.

6. Broken or Misadjusted Parts On Your Garage Door System

If your garage door rolls up just a foot or so when opening and then goes back down, you may have a broken spring or cable, or another issue that needs to be resolved before the door can operate correctly.

The springs, torsion rod, drums, and cables in your system are all essential to support the weight of the garage door. If any part of that system does not do it's own job it can cause the opener to lift more weight than they may be designed to handle (some garage doors are extremely heavy). Which is why the door may raise a few inches and then retreats back down.

7. Reprogramming Needed

If none of the issues we listed above, it may be time to try and reprogram the remote. Each remote may be different. Search for your garage door opener operations by visiting here.

8. Advanced Issues

If all these options failed, the remote itself may be broken, or the logic board inside the opener is no longer working properly. If this is the issue, replacing the faulty equipment will be the only way to get your garage door back up and working to perfection.

Is Your Garage Door Remote Still Not Performing? We Can Help.

We understand the frustration and outright anger that can come with a non-functioning garage door remote. Garage Door Grunts is here to serve the residents of the greater Phoenix area with all of your garage door repair and installation needs.

If you are in need of garage door help or are in need of an entire new garage door opener system, contact us today!