How To Tell When a Garage Door Opener Is Going Bad?
Before calling for service, there are a few safe checks you can make at home. These steps can help you rule out easy fixes before assuming the opener itself is bad.
Check Power and Connections
The most common reason an opener stops working after a storm or surge is power. Most newer homes in Houston have the opener plugged into a GFCI outlet. When lightning or water trips that outlet, the opener loses power.
Press the reset button on the GFCI outlet – or, if you don’t see one, check your breaker box. Plug a small lamp into the same outlet as the opener. If the lamp doesn’t turn on, it’s not the opener.
If the outlet does have power and the opener still acts dead, the surge may have fried the control board. That’s when you call a professional. If the opener has power but no light, no click, no sound – it’s usually the board.
Check the Door Before Blaming the Opener
Sometimes the opener is fine, but the door is the problem. A lot of people think it’s the opener, but really the door is too heavy.
Pull the red release cord and lift the door halfway by hand. If it’s balanced, it’ll stay put. If it falls or feels heavy, the spring tension is off. An unbalanced door forces the opener to work four or five times harder every time it runs – and that’s what causes early failure.
If your garage door is running heavy or jerky, you’re overworking the opener. That’s how openers get weak long before their time.
Inspect the Photo Eyes
One of the most common service calls involves sensors. If the door won’t close and reverses every time, start there.
Look near the floor on both sides of the track. Wipe the sensors clean and make sure both are pointing at each other. If one is blinking, they’re misaligned. It’s an easy fix but it’s not your opener.
Watch and Listen When You Hit the Button
How the opener behaves can tell you a lot. Listen to what the opener is saying.
- If it moves six inches and goes back up, that’s often a sensor or travel limit issue – not a motor failure.
- If you hear grinding or screeching, that points to worn gears or stress in the drive system.
- If it hums but won’t move, it may be the motor or a jammed door.
Each sound tells a story. You don’t want to keep hitting that button if something sounds off. That’s when people break the top panel or burn up the motor.
Test the Controls
Try both the wall button and a remote. If the wall button works but the remote doesn’t, it could be batteries or programming. If neither works, the opener’s logic board or wiring may be at fault.
Power surges are a common cause of dead wall buttons. It’s rare that the wire itself goes bad but the surge can take out the control board that powers it.
Know When to Stop and Call a Professional
If your garage door is crooked, off track, or feels extremely heavy, stop and call for service. Never pull the red release cord when the door is up. If a spring is broken, that door will come down like a guillotine.
Never troubleshoot electrical components inside the opener. If you’ve got power to the outlet and it’s still dead, that’s when a tech needs to take a look.
How Often Should a Garage Door Opener Be Serviced?
A professional tune-up is recommended at least once a year. Our technicians check the door, balance it, adjust the springs, tighten all the hardware, and make sure the opener isn’t overworking.
Homeowners can also do a quick monthly check. Just hit the button, stand back, and listen. Smooth and quiet means you’re good. Grinding or popping means call a technician before it gets expensive.
Final Thoughts
Garage door openers are tough machines, but they don’t last forever – especially in Houston’s mix of heat, humidity, and storms. If it’s loud, heavy, or acting weird, it’s trying to tell you something.
By checking power, sensors, and door balance before calling for help, you can often find the easy fixes yourself. For everything else, a quick service visit keeps your door running smoothly and saves your opener from unnecessary wear.