What to Do When Your Garage Door Opens By Itself

white garage door

The garage door is an essential part of your home but often underappreciated. It adds to your home’s curb appeal and gives you and your family an extra level of safety and convenience. Since we usually use our garage doors multiple times a day, it puts more stress on the door than we realize. We often only realize how important our garage doors are when they stop working correctly.

Garage doors are complex mechanisms. When any part of the device fails, no matter how small, it can affect the entire door. A ghost opening garage door is one problem that may indicate a problem with the mechanism.

Below are three reasons why your garage door opens on its own and some quick fixes you can try.

1. Radio Interference

Garage doors use radio frequencies to open and close. Whether you’re using the passcode entry, the buttons inside the garage, or your remote opener, the openers and the garage door itself must be on the same frequency.

Other devices also use the same frequencies. CB radios, police radios and even your neighbor’s garage doors may be on similar or the same frequencies.

Because two different garage doors can accidentally be programmed to the same channel, your neighbors may be causing your garage door to open on its own. When your neighbor uses their remote to open or close their door, it may cause yours to open, too!

If the frequency is the problem, you’re lucky — you have an easy fix. Just reprogram your garage door’s openers, and it should be back to working order.

2. Clear Out Debris

Electric garage doors make our everyday lives easier. From not getting wet in the rain to avoiding clearing our cars of snow and ice in the winter, they do a lot for us. Garage doors have many parts that all work together, including safety features.

These garage doors have sensors near the ground to ensure nothing gets stuck underneath the door when it closes. If the door goes up, seemingly on its own, after you close the door, be sure to check for any debris the sensor is picking up.

If anything is blocking the path, the door will not close. Be sure to double check if there is anything underneath the door if it continues to open back up after you close it.

3. Check the Remote Opener

Another easy way to fix a garage door that opens by itself is by checking the remote opener. If the remote opener is dirty or the batteries are failing, it may cause the door to open on its own.

The remote’s batteries may be breaking down or may just not be positioned properly. Double check their position or change them out to see if it prevents your garage door from opening on its own.

Count on Custom Overhead Doors to Repair Your Garage Door

When your garage door begins acting up, it can cause a huge disruption in your day-to-day life. If your door opens up on its own and you can’t find the cause, it’s time to call in a professional.

At Custom Overhead Doors, we’re ready to fix any issues with your garage door to get it working like it’s brand new again. Contact us today to schedule your service or repair!