Garage door companies receive calls from frustrated homeowners about all sorts of issues. While most calls for garage door help revolve around damaged or broken components, some are about doors opening seemingly at random. How a homeowner discovers that their door is opening on its own may vary. They may be getting ready in the morning with no one else home and hear the garage door opening. Or, a homeowner may go on vacation and come back to a garage that has been standing wide open for days.
A garage door opening at random like this is cause for concern, both for your own safety and for the security of your home, so don’t wait long too call a professional for repairs. But why is this happening to begin with? Here are some reasons why garage doors in Rancho Cordova, CA may open on their own—and what you can do about it.
Weather conditions
If you live in an area that gets snowstorms or experiences icy winter weather conditions, there’s a chance for snow or ice buildup along the threshold of the garage door. Doors with sensitive mechanical systems may react to this buildup in such as way that the door could reverse and open completely on its own. Alternatively, a recent storm might have triggered an electrical surge to your home.
Check to see if there is damage to the transmitter’s electrical wiring, which can cause the garage door opener to seem to have a mind of its own. Call a professional for help with any electrical issues.
Misaligned beams
If you have a residential garage door that was manufactured before 1993, it likely uses a photoelectric system. This was put in as a safety mechanism, but it can get misaligned, meaning the two sensors can fall out of alignment and the beam will cut off. When this happens, the photoelectric system thinks there is an object in the way of the door closing. This can cause the door to reopen on its own.
If you check the wall panel and see a blinking light, this indicates a problem. To fix this issue, you should call an expert to realign the beams. The problem is resolved when the light stops blinking.
Sticky button
The button on your clicker or wall mount could become stuck and cause the garage door to open at random. Don’t feel silly if this turns out to be the problem—it certainly happens! Remove the batteries from the remote to see if a button is stuck. If not, the problem might be electrical.
Crossed signals
Another possibility, though not as common, is that you and a nearby neighbor have the same wireless garage door opener code. If you suspect this is the case, stand outside so you can see both garages and ask your neighbor to activate their door. Should your door open as well, all you should need to do is reset one of your garage door openers to a new code.
Is your garage door opening all on its own? Here at Action Door Service, our team is experienced in troubleshooting issues with a variety of garage doors in Rancho Cordova, CA. Call us today for the help you need!