How To Repair a Garage Door Opener

See if the opener’s cord is plugged into a working outlet. Of course it’s a “duh” — but it’s also the most common reason electric garage doors don’t open.

Now check the second most-common stupid reason that an electric garage door won’t open—the owner inadvertently activated the “lock” feature. Many people aren’t even aware of this feature—consult your owner’s manual.

Try unplugging the garage door opener and then plugging it in again; this sometimes does the trick by resetting the sensors.

See if dead batteries in your remote control opener are the problem.

If the batteries are fine, the remote might have become deprogrammed. Consult your manual for instructions on resetting it.

Next, make sure the beam sensor is plugged in.

Clean the sensor’s eyes—usually located in front of the on/off button—with a wet cloth. When these eyes get dusty, it can block the signal that turns on the motor.

Next, check to see if the chain is broken or loose. Unfortunately, if it needs to be tightened or replaced, you’ll need to contact an electrician.

If none of your quick fixes have worked, pull the red release cord to free the door so that it can be opened and closed manually.

Operate your door by hand until you can have the unit fixed. Contact either an electrician or the service department of the store where you bought your unit.