How To Troubleshoot Your Genie Garage Opener

Are you having a problem with your Genie garage door opener? If so, you can be rest assured that there’s a solution. Genie manufacturers reliable, user-friendly openers that are easy to troubleshoot. Here are some of the problems customers commonly encounter with their opener and how they can be resolved.

emergency release chord

The opener runs but the garage door doesn’t move

It’s likely that someone has pulled the red emergency-release cord that hangs down from the trolley on your garage door system. Pulling this cord disconnects the garage door from the opener, allowing the user to operate the door manually. If you see that the trolley has been disconnected from the opener, it’s a simple matter of snapping it back in place. With most Genie models, this can be done by pulling the disconnected emergency-release cord back toward the opener.

The garage door reverses after hitting the floor

The limit setting on your garage door opener probably needs to be adjusted. This mechanism controls how far the door will open or close before coming to a stop. If the limit setting is past the point at which the garage door closes fully, the opener may mistakenly sense that the door has hit an obstacle and automatically reverse. Refer to your user’s manual for information about how to adjust the limit settings for your Genie model.

is it time to repair or replace your operator

The garage door won’t open or close

Has your Genie opener stopped operating altogether? This issue can be caused by a number of things, but in most cases, the photo-eye sensors are to blame.

You’ll know that the sensors are the culprit if the little red lights on them start flashing. This could mean one of the following things:

  • There’s something blocking the sensors
  • The photo-eye lenses are dirty
  • The sensors are misaligned
  • There’s a problem with the wiring for the sensors

Homeowners can fix the first three problems themselves. However, they’ll probably have to call in a professional to resolve the latter two.

If you’ve ruled out the photo-eye sensors, the next most likely explanation is that there’s an electrical problem. First check whether the power source has been disrupted. Be sure that the opener is plugged into a working outlet and check the switches in your breaker box.

If the electrical connections are fine, turn your attention to the powerhead controls, in particular, the two LED indicators on the opener unit. On most Genie models these LED lights are off under normal operating conditions. Alternatively, if your opener has battery back-up, both LEDs will be a steady green. If either or both of these lights are illuminated or flashing, refer to your user’s manual.

For example, if both LEDs are a steady red, this means that the limits are not properly set and need to be reprogrammed.

The garage door opens and closes by itself

This is typically due to a short circuit somewhere in your garage door opener system. Most often, the short is in one of your transmitters or controls (the keypad, wall button, or remote control). You can determine which transmitter is causing the problem by removing the batteries from them in turn and trying to operate the door with one of the other devices. Once you’ve found the culprit, keep the batteries removed until you’ve had it replaced or repaired by a professional.

genie LED garage door opener lightbulb

The remote control won’t work

If your Genie garage door remote isn’t working at all, ensure that it’s correctly programmed and has fresh batteries. For help, read our article on programming your Genie remote. If the problem persists, it may be time to replace your remote.

If your Genie garage door remote is working unreliably or only at a close distance, its batteries may be losing their charge. Alternatively, the device may be at the end of its lifespan.

Another possibility is that there may be electrical interference. One of the most frequent causes of electrical interference are LED light bulbs. If you recently installed an LED bulb on or nearby your opener, it may well be the source of the problem. The solution? Genie has developed its own LED light bulb that’s designed to reduce or eliminate this kind of interference.

Comprehensive Garage Door Services in Western Canada

Creative Door Services™ installs and repairs Genie garage door openers at all our locations across Western Canada: find us in Vancouver, British Columbia; Kelowna, British Columbia; Calgary, Alberta; Edmonton, Alberta, Fort McMurray, Alberta; Regina, Saskatchewan; Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; and Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Trust our dedicated team with all your garage door opener installation, repair, and maintenance needs. Contact us to learn more about our products and services.

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