A garage door has many moving parts- which means that there are any number of things that could go wrong with the system.
Although most people assume that the #1 garage door problem has to do with the door (ie: broken panels) they couldn’t be more wrong. In fact, the most common problem with garage door systems has to do with the auto-reversing mechanism.
What you need to know
Your auto-reversing mechanism is a very important safety feature that does what you’d assume it would do, based on its name. Ultimately, it causes the direction of the door to change if it encounters some sort of obstacle, such as a bicycle, your bumper or the family pet.
How does it work? We’ll tell you.
The auto-reverse mechanism should function in two ways. The first relates to touch- namely, if the garage door comes into physical contact with an item while it’s closing, it will open back up.
The second relates to a photo sensor. In this case, if your cat, your dog or your child ran under the garage door while it was closing, the movement would trip the sensor and it would cause your door to open back up.
How the photo sensor causes problems
Although this part of your garage door is supposed to be a safety feature, if your photo sensor starts to fail this could prevent your door from opening and closing properly.
For example, let’s say you drove home after a long day at work and you use the remote in your car to open the door. Just as you’re about to head into your house, you press the wall button, only to find the door only closes half way before stopping, changing direction, and opening back up.
Like we said- this isn’t so much a problem with the door as it’s likely to be a problem with the photo sensor.
Why is the photo eye being wonky?
There are a few reasons why the photo eye may not be working properly, but in most cases, it’s because they’ve become misaligned. If you or a member of your household bumped into your garage door by accident, that can knock things out of line.
The good news is that an experienced repairman can fix this type of problem quickly.
Do you think you have a photo eye problem? Give us a call
If you think your garage door isn’t working properly and that the issue is related to the photo eye, give us a call.
The experts at Above the Rest Garage Door Repair have been helping local homeowners with all sorts of garage door issues for nearly three decades. We’re experienced in working with all types of systems and we know how to get jobs done correctly, safely and efficiently.
If your garage door isn’t opening or closing properly, don’t delay. Call Above the Rest Garage Door Repair today to learn why we’re the most trusted garage door repair and replacement company in Northern Colorado.
