Few things are more frustrating than pressing the button and watching your garage door start to close, only to reverse back up — or refuse to move at all. A garage door that will not close is more than an inconvenience. It is a security problem, especially if it happens when you are leaving for work or heading to bed.
Before you assume the worst, there are several common causes that are easy to check yourself. Some of them take less than a minute to fix.
Check the Safety Sensors
This is the most common reason a garage door will not close. Every garage door opener manufactured after 1993 has two small photoelectric sensors mounted near the bottom of the door tracks, one on each side. They project an invisible beam across the opening. If anything breaks that beam — a box, a bike, a leaf, a cobweb — the door will refuse to close or will reverse immediately after starting to come down.
Here is what to check. Make sure nothing is physically blocking the path between the two sensors. Look at the sensors themselves — each one should have a small LED light. If one light is off or blinking, the sensors are misaligned. Wipe the sensor lenses with a clean cloth — dust and grime build up over time, especially in Huntsville garages during pollen season and summer humidity. Gently adjust the sensor that has the blinking light until the LED goes solid. Try closing the door again.
If the sensors look fine and the lights are solid but the door still will not close, the issue is likely somewhere else in the system.
Look at the Opener’s Limit Settings
Garage door openers have limit settings that tell the motor how far to travel when opening and closing. If the close limit is set incorrectly, the opener may think the door has hit the ground before it actually has, causing it to stop short or reverse.
This is more common after a recent repair or after someone has adjusted the opener. The fix usually involves turning a small adjustment screw on the opener unit. Check your opener’s manual for the specific location — it varies by brand. If you are not comfortable making this adjustment, a technician can handle it in a few minutes.
Inspect the Tracks and Rollers
A garage door rides on metal tracks on either side. If a track is bent, dented, or has debris stuck in it, the door can bind or get stuck partway through the close cycle. Run your eye along both tracks from top to bottom and look for any obvious damage or obstruction.
Also check the rollers — the small wheels that ride inside the tracks. If a roller has come out of the track or has cracked, the door will not travel smoothly. Worn rollers are a common issue on older doors in the Huntsville area, particularly on homes built in the 1990s and 2000s where the original rollers have never been replaced.
Check for Broken Springs or Cables
If your door goes up partway and then slams down, or if it feels extremely heavy when you try to move it manually, a broken spring or snapped cable may be the cause. Do not attempt to force the door closed in this situation — the door is not being properly counterbalanced and forcing it risks damaging the panels or the opener.
If you suspect a spring or cable issue, this is not a DIY fix. The tension involved is dangerous. Call a professional for garage door emergency repair before the situation gets worse.
Test the Remote and Wall Button
Sometimes the problem is simpler than it seems. Replace the batteries in your remote. Try the wall-mounted button to see if the door responds from there but not from the remote. If the wall button works but the remote does not, the remote itself may need to be reprogrammed or replaced.
If neither the remote nor the wall button gets a response from the opener, the issue may be with the opener’s motor or circuit board. Learn more about common opener problems on our garage door opener repair page.
When to Call a Professional
If you have checked the sensors, tracks, and remote and the door still will not close, it is time to call for service. A garage door that stays open is a security risk for your home and everything stored in your garage. Do not leave it overnight if you can avoid it.
Call (256) 415-4055 for fast garage door repair in Huntsville, AL.