Garage Door Opener Repair

Why Will My Garage Door Opener Not Work?

Run these four checks before you call. Each takes under a minute:

1. Look at the outlet or the plug on the ceiling. A tripped breaker can make a healthy opener look dead.
2. Try the wall button, then the remote. If only one works, the fault is in the one that fails.
3. Check that nothing blocks the two small sensors near the floor.
4. Pull the red release handle only if the door is fully closed, then lift by hand to test its weight.

Opener Symptoms and What They Usually Mean

• The motor hums but nothing moves. The gear, the drive belt or the trolley may be worn, or a spring has failed. A heavy door points to spring repair.
• The door reverses just before it closes. The sensors are dirty, blocked or out of line, or the close limit is set wrong.
• The remote works only at the door. A weak battery or a loose antenna wire is the usual cause.
• The opener quit after a power cut. A power surge may have hurt the circuit board. A unit with a battery backup avoids this kind of stall.
• Loud grinding while the door moves. Worn rollers or a dry track can sound like a bad motor. See track repair.

Repair or Replace the Opener?

We repair first. A new remote, a sensor realignment or a replacement gear can bring a sound unit back for far less than a new one. When the motor is worn out, we explain why and show you the options on the opener installation page. Opener repair has no list price because every brand and model differs, so we quote it on site. The pricing page lists what we can price up front.

When you call from Orinda, Moraga or Lafayette, read us the brand on the motor head and the model number on its label. Add a photo of the unit when you request a callback. Hillside garages are often the family’s front door, so a dead opener is felt right away. Our contact page shows every way to reach us, and the general repair page covers problems that are not the opener.

Garage Door Opener Repair Questions