Garage Door Won't Open in St. Louis: Causes and Fixes
The short answer
A door that won't open usually has a broken spring, a power problem, or a remote that lost its signal. Check the power, the lock and the remote first, and if the motor runs but the door doesn't lift, stop and call a technician.
Call About a Stuck Door(314) 200-4461Signs to look for
- The opener hums or clicks, but the door stays shut.
- Nothing happens at all when you press the wall button.
- The door lifts a few inches, then stops or goes back down.
- The wall button works, but the remote does not.
- The door is stuck partway open.
Why it happens
A broken spring
This is the most common reason a door won't lift when the opener is running. The opener is not built to lift the full weight of the door, so it stalls.
No power
A tripped GFCI outlet, a flipped breaker or an unplugged opener will stop everything. Garage outlets often share a GFCI with another room.
The door is locked
Many doors have a manual lock bar on the inside. Many wall consoles also have a lock or vacation button that blocks every remote.
Remote or keypad trouble
A dead battery or lost programming makes it look like the door is broken when the opener is fine.
Opener parts
Worn drive gears, a slipping chain or belt, or a failed circuit board can leave the motor running with nothing moving.
Is it safe to use the door?
Usually, with care.
If the spring looks whole and the door simply isn't getting a signal, the checks below are safe. If the opener strains, you hear grinding, or there is a gap in the spring, stop using the door.
What you can check, and what needs a pro
Safe for you to check
- Make sure the opener is plugged in. Test the outlet with a lamp or phone charger.
- Reset a tripped GFCI outlet or a flipped breaker.
- Look for a lock button or lock light on the wall console and turn it off.
- Check that the manual lock bar on the inside of the door is open.
- Put a fresh battery in the remote.
- From the floor, look at the spring above the door for a gap in the coils.
Leave these to a technician
- Replacing a broken spring.
- Repairing opener gears, motors or circuit boards.
- Reconnecting the opener on a door that is out of balance.
- Any repair on a door stuck partway open.
Never adjust, release or loosen springs, cables, drums or bottom brackets. They hold enough tension to cause serious injury.
Call About a Stuck Door(314) 200-4461What the repair involves
The technician first finds out whether the problem is the door or the opener. A balanced door should stay put when lifted halfway by hand, and a technician tests this safely.
From there the repair is specific: new springs, an opener repair, new remote programming, or new parts for the track and rollers. You get the price before any work starts.
More about our garage door repair and service service in St. Louis
Call About a Stuck Door(314) 200-4461