How to Tell that Your Garage Door Opener is Broken

Steps to Help Assess if Your Malfunctioning Garage Door Opener Needs Repair

To the casual observer, it may at first be testing to find any similarity between automatic garage door opener and major household utilities like hydro, water, and gas.  Let’s face it; the former is a mechanical device while the latter are fundamental services that help make a home inhabitable.

Upon closer inspection though, there are some similarities when comparing garage door openers with public utility services, principally with respect to convenience and reliability.  At basically the flip of a switch or the push of a button, one can open/close their garage door just as easily as they can turn on a television or pour a glass of water – that is the convenience factor.  From a dependability perspective, the garage door opener responds each time and every time, in the same way, that the lights always come on and the bath always has hot water.

This is why it is bewildering when any of the above comforts fails to respond; a failure is so unforeseen, it leaves a homeowner and their family members essentially in disbelief, not to mention that it is often highly disruptive to their daily routines.  And in the case of a garage door opener, Murphy’s Law dictates that it will stop functioning at the absolute worst possible time to have a car trapped in the garage.

It is important to note that, when a garage door will not open, it should not be assumed that it is the automatic opener that needs repair – the issue could lie with the device or with the door itself.  To determine the source of the problem, homeowners may actually want to begin by examining the door for one or more of the following indicators:

• Broken spring
• Damaged rollers
• Loose/broken cable
• Bent/blocked tracking
• The door is out of alignment
• The door is frozen shut (winter)
• The door cannot be opened manually

If in fact the garage door can be opened manually, and rather easily, then the problem most likely resides with the door opener.  In this instance, homeowners can test various aspects of the opener to assess whether its functionality can be re-established or if there is a need for repair or replacement services.  These do-it-yourself measures can include:

• Checking for a tripped circuit breaker
• Confirming the connection to the power supply
• Resetting the unit – unplug it, wait, re-connect it, try again
• Changing/testing remote batteries to see if there is a response

If the above actions are unsuccessful in isolating the issue and/or restoring the operation of the garage door opener, it would be prudent for homeowners to call the garage door service professionals at Markham Garage Doors to determine the best course of action.

Consider the LiftMaster Series for Your New Garage Door Opener Installation

In some instances, depending on the type/extent of the repair work needed, it could be more cost-effective for homeowners to move forward with the installation of a new and upgraded garage door opener; when a full replacement is a better/preferred option, it is advisable to consider the LiftMaster line of garage door openers.

LiftMaster has been a leading manufacturer in the garage door opener industry for more than 45 years, developing and distributing a brand that well-known and respected for its quality, innovation, and emphasis on safety.  LiftMaster garage door openers can only be obtained from manufacturer-approved distributors such as Markham Garage Doors, who in turn have trained technicians on staff to ensure that the installation process is done in an expert and appropriate manner to guarantee optimal performance and safe operation.

The expertise of the Markham Garage Doors technicians in the installation of LiftMaster garage door openers includes:

• Fastening all support rails appropriately
• Tension adjustments for the spring/cables
• Regulating the open-and-close travel limits
• The set-up and testing of all safety features
• Electrical wiring to specified codes/standards
• Matching opener horsepower to door weight

For more information on the garage door opener repair and installation services by the experts from Markham Garage Doors, see https://markhamgaragedoors.com/garage-door-wont-open/

If you require garage door opener repair service or the installation of a new garage door opener, call Markham Garage Doors today at (905) 472-9178 or (416) 570-3667 to schedule an on-site visit and/or to obtain more information on the LiftMaster series of products.