Why won't my garage door open, and what can I check first?
Short answer
The most common reason a garage door won't open is a broken spring: the opener hums or lifts the door a few inches, then stops. Other causes are a pulled emergency release, a locked door, dead remote batteries, a tripped outlet, or a snapped cable. Check power and the release first, but never force a door with a broken spring.
What are the most common reasons a door won’t open?
| What you notice | Most likely cause | Safe to check yourself? | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loud bang earlier; opener hums or lifts a few inches, then stops | Broken torsion spring | Look only. Don’t lift the door | Send a photo for a spring repair quote |
| Door is crooked, or a cable is hanging loose | Snapped or slipped lift cable | Look only. Don’t run the opener | Send a photo for a cable repair quote |
| Opener motor runs, door doesn’t move, trolley slides freely | Emergency release pulled | Yes, re-engage the trolley | Usually a do-it-yourself fix |
| Nothing happens at all, no light, no sound | No power, tripped GFCI outlet or breaker | Yes | Usually a do-it-yourself fix |
| Wall button works, remote doesn’t | Remote battery or lock mode | Yes | Usually a do-it-yourself fix |
| Opener clicks or grinds, door doesn’t move | Stripped gear or failed logic board | No | Send a video for an opener repair quote |
| Door is out of the tracks or rollers have popped out | Off-track door | No, don’t use the door | Send a photo for an off-track repair quote |
How do I tell if the spring is broken?
Stand inside the garage with the door closed and look at the bar above the door. A torsion spring that has broken shows a clear gap of a few inches between two sections of coil. Other signs: you heard a loud bang like a gunshot, the door feels extremely heavy, or the opener lifts the door a few inches and reverses. Side-mounted extension springs look stretched out or are hanging. See torsion vs extension springs.
What can I safely check first?
- Power. Is the opener light on? Plug a lamp into the same outlet. Garage outlets are often on a GFCI that trips after rain or a storm; press its reset button.
- The lock. Many doors have a manual slide lock on the inside. If it’s engaged, the opener can’t lift the door.
- The emergency release. If someone pulled the red cord, the trolley is disconnected. Close the door fully, then run the opener; most trolleys re-latch on their own. Check your opener’s manual.
- Remote and wall control. Fresh remote battery, and make sure the wall control’s lock or vacation mode is off.
- Sensors. If the door opens but won’t close, it’s usually the safety sensors. See why a garage door goes down then back up.
What should I not do?
- Don’t keep pressing the button with a broken spring. The opener strains and can strip its gear, turning a spring job into a spring and opener job.
- Don’t pull the emergency release while the door is open if a spring is broken. Without spring tension the door can free-fall.
- Don’t touch the spring, cables or bottom brackets. They are under high tension.
- Don’t drive in or out under a door that is stuck partly open.
Why did my door stop working after a storm or power outage?
Power surges and outages are hard on openers. After FPL restores power, check the outlet and GFCI first. If the opener is dead or acts erratically, the logic board may have taken a surge. If your area loses power often, an opener with battery backup keeps the door working through outages. See our opener battery backup buying guide.
How do I get it fixed today?
WhatsApp us a photo of the door from inside the garage, showing the springs above it, or text it to (561) 724-0724. You can also just call. You get a written quote before any work starts, and we take same-day jobs when the schedule allows.