Is your garage door opening and closing by itself? If so, it may be an issue you can resolve without calling a technician to fix it. Here are the five main things you should check when your garage door seems to have a mind of its own.

1. The buttons on your transmitters

If your garage door is endlessly opening and closing by itself, the first thing you should inspect is the garage door’s transmitters (the wall control, keypad, and remote controls). If these devices are dirty or old, their buttons can get stuck. Keep transmitters clean and, if they’re past their prime, it’s best to replace them.

 Also, try switching out the batteries if they’re old. Sometimes worn-out batteries in a transmitter can cause the device to send random signals.

2. The opener’s limit settings

When you try to close your garage door, does it come back up partway after reaching the ground? Or, perhaps when you open it, the door comes back down partway? If this is happening, then your limit settings probably need to be adjusted.

The limit settings tell your garage door how far up it needs to go to open and how far down it needs to go to close. If these limits are set incorrectly, once the door makes contact with the ground, or reaches the top, it can continue moving in the the other direction. If you think your limit settings are off the mark, call in a professional to reset them.

3. The control wiring

In your garage, there’s a wire that runs from the motor unit to the mounted wall control. Additionally, there are wires that run from the motor unit to either garage door photo eye sensor. If there’s a bare spot or short circuit in any of these wires, this can cause your garage door to open and close on its own.

Bare spots are frequently the result of nails, staples, or peckish mice piercing the wire. Carefully inspect the wiring for signs of damage to determine if this this is the cause of your garage door problems.

Working with electric wires can be dangerous, so if you suspect the control wiring is in fact damaged, it’s best to call in a garage door technician and leave it to the professionals.

4. The electrical circuits

The electrical circuits that open and close your garage door can be damaged by power surges or power outages. Sometimes this results in the door opening and closing erratically. If you suspect that your garage door problems are the consequence of recent weather events or electricity issues, you should call in a garage door technician to inspect the circuits.

5. Your unsuspecting neighbour

If your garage door opener was made before 1993, there’s a chance that one of your neighbours is unknowingly opening your garage door. Older openers are programmed to respond to a signal that travels on a specific frequency. If someone else on your street has an older opener, and it happens to be programmed to the same frequency as yours, their remote control might be able to open your garage door as well as their own.

If this turns out to be the issue, you can resolve it by reprogramming your transmitters. There are different ways of doing this depending on the manufacturer of your garage door opener. Check your owner’s manual or reach out to a professional.

Keeping your home secure

When leaving your home, you should always watch to make sure your garage fully closes. If you want further peace of mind, consider getting an opener with LiftMaster’s MyQ technology. Or, if you currently own a LiftMaster opener, consider purchasing an upgrade that will equip your garage door with this handy technology.

 With MyQ technology, you can use your smartphone, tablet, or computer to do the following:

• Monitor whether your garage door is open or closed
• Open and close your garage door from anywhere
• Receive an email when your garage is opened

Garage door repairs and installation across Western Canada

Is your garage door opening and closing on its own? Do you need to get your garage door opener inspected, repaired, or replaced? Then the garage door experts at Creative Door Services are here to help. For any type of job or repair, no matter how big or small, our experienced technicians are only a call away. We even offer 24/7 emergency service at most locations. Contact us today, or reach out to one of our eight branches across Western Canada.