Garage Door Keeps Stopping: What Should I Do?

Using the garage door is such a part of your everyday routine that you probably don’t think twice about it. You just push the button on your garage door opener remote, the door smoothly and quickly opens or closes, and you go about your day.

Everything is fine until one day, while the door is in the process of opening or closing, it stops moving. What do you do? You can’t keep the garage door open halfway. Not only does this leave your personal belongings and home unprotected, but it isn’t safe.

The experts at Uplift Garage are here to help. We will explain some of the common reasons why a garage door keeps stopping and provide you with guidance on how to correct the problem either on your own or with the help of a professional garage door repair technician.

Common Reasons for a Stopping Garage Door

There are a number of reasons why your garage door will suddenly stop while it is opening or closing. Some of the most common reasons for a stopping garage door include:

• Power issues
• Settings on the garage door opener need to be adjusted
• Mechanical failure of the garage door opener
• Broken tension springs
• Problems with the sensors

Depending upon the reason your garage door keeps stopping, it could be something that you can fix in just a matter of minutes or it could be something that is better left to the professional.

The technicians at Uplift Garage are just a phone call away waiting to help you if you have a garage door that keeps stopping. We may be able to help you determine the cause of the problem just by asking you a few questions over the phone.

If the problem is relatively easy to fix, we may be able to help you troubleshoot the problem. If the problem is more complex or you are uncomfortable working on your garage door, we can schedule a time for a technician to come to your home to perform any necessary repairs.

Troubleshooting Tips

All it might take to repair a stopping garage door is wiping a sensor with a damp cloth or resetting the garage door opener. Try some of these troubleshooting tips to see if you can correct the problem yourself.

Check for Items That Block the Garage Door Threshold

Every garage door that has an automatic opener has safety sensors. If anything happens to be in the way of the sensor, the garage door will not close properly. This is a protective feature that prevents the door from closing on a person and causing injury.

The sensors on the garage door are very sensitive. Even a small twig or stick could trigger the sensor if it is in the right spot. Try clearing the threshold and the area around the sensors if your garage door stops suddenly while closing.

Check the Settings on the Garage Door Opener System

There are two settings on your garage door opener system that could cause your door to stop if it isn’t set properly. The two settings to check include the travel down setting and the limit switch.

The travel down setting will tell your garage door opener system how far the door needs to go in order to close properly. If the setting is off and it isn’t telling the system the right distance, it could cause the garage door to stop before it is fully closed.

The limit switch setting tells the system where to stop the door when it closes. If the setting is off, the garage door may not close properly or it may suddenly stop while closing and open all the way back up.

Other Troubleshooting Tips

Other things to try include:

• Checking the door for any visible signs of damage – Look at the springs and tracks. If these parts are broken, bent, damaged or extremely rusted, it could cause you to experience problems with your garage door.
• Check the power source to the garage door opener – Make sure your garage door opener is properly plugged in.
• Check the sensors for any visible signs of damage

If you prefer to save time and just get to the source of the problem, call Uplift Garage to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced technicians. Our technicians will come to your home, troubleshoot the problem and provide you with recommendations on how to fix the problem.

Safety Measures When Dealing with a Broken Garage Door

The safest way to repair a garage door is by having a technician from Uplift Garage perform any repairs. However, some people prefer to try doing the repairs themselves.

Should you decide to troubleshoot or attempt to fix your garage door yourself, make sure you do the following:

• Keep the garage door opener remote in a safe place – Keep it out of reach of children and in a place where you, or someone else, won’t accidentally step on it or bump it causing it to open/close the door
• Practice proper safety measures when using tools and ladders
• Keep the area near the garage door clear – There is always a risk that the garage door can come crashing down while you are working on it. This is especially important if you are working on sensors.

When to Call a Professional for Help

There are some situations where it would be better to call a professional than to try the repairs yourself. Some situations where it is best to trust the experienced technicians at Uplift Garage to do the repairs include:

• Repairing or replacing tension springs – springs need to be properly removed or they could snap sending pieces flying. Our technicians can safely remove and replace the tension springs.
• You want to keep your warranty – Some manufacturer warranties require repairs to be performed by professional garage door repair technicians. If you want to keep your warranty, it may be best to have a professional perform all repairs.
• Don’t have the proper tools – Using the wrong tools can damage the garage door.
• Concerns the door may come crashing down – Our technicians know how to properly set up the garage door so it won’t come crashing down while performing repairs.
• Comfort level – If you don’t feel comfortable performing repairs on your own, it is best to call a professional technician.

Determining when to call a professional for help with garage door repairs is a personal choice. Some individuals call us right away as soon as they experience a problem while others call us only after they have tried to fix it themselves.

Regardless of when you decide to seek the help of a professional garage door repair technician, Uplift Garage will be there for you. Call us to see how we can help you.