Automatic garage door openers do a lot of heavy lifting.  They also consist of many moving and electronic parts, all of which are likely to have trouble at some point or another.  The heavy use that garage door openers sustain is usually the culprit when troubles arise.  Sometimes problems with garage door openers are a sign that the openers have seen better days and need to be replaced.  Other times, a bit of troubleshooting can lead to simple, and inexpensive, repairs.

If replacing the remote and keypad batteries does not work, and everything looks to be in good condition with the plug and outlet, reprogramming the garage door opener is the next step in troubleshooting.  The manual that came with the opener is usually needed in order to learn how to perform the reprogramming procedure.  If the manual is lost, knowing the make and model of the opener can help in finding a replacement manual online.

The hardware system that supports the garage door should also be checked for damage or loose parts.  The torsion spring, lift chains, and guide rails should all be looked at for wear and tear.  In many garage door troubleshooting situation, the problem is caused by loose guide rails.  Go through and clean the rails with a dry cloth to remove dirt and debris, and check that each and every bolt is tight and secure.  The bolts that secure the rails to the structure should never be loose.  Don't neglect bolts that hold rail sections together.  Even a slight misalignment can cause operational problems.

Finally, the parts that make up the safety features should also be checked.  If the parts that beam the infrared light across the door path are dirty, it can cause the beam to be broken, thus causing the door to operate improperly.  Wiping with a clean, lint free cloth is often an easy fix for this problem.  Garage doors now have to have bump sensors along the bottoms.  If these sensors are malfunctioning, the door will not operate properly.  This might be the issue if the garage door continuously rises without reason.  If a problem with the bump sensors is suspected, or if cleaning the infrared mechanics does not help, a professional garage door service should be consulted.

Owners can usually find the problems, and even solve the problems themselves with a bit of troubleshooting.  When troubleshooting fails, a garage door service should always be consulted when door openers are malfunctioning.  Malfunctioning garage doors pose a significant safety threat, and should not be used until a knowledgeable professional has fixed the problem.