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It’s annoying when your garage door opens by itself. However, there are so many reasons why this happens and also solutions to fix a garage door opening on its own. Garage doors opening on their own is a common issue for many homeowners.
A garage door opening on its leads to anxiety, it can also be startling, and scary. The problem of your garage door opening on its own is something you just have to check and repair.
Also, if your garage door opens during a power outage, it means the opener’s batteries are getting old; replace the batteries.
Continue reading to find out the possible causes of your garage door opening on its own as well as solutions to each cause.
My Garage Door Opens on Its Own [Causes and Fixes]
Why and how my garage door opens on its own is one of the most popular questions we hear. The issue of your garage door opening on its own can be life-threatening and will likely expose your valuable items.
However, we will share a detailed discussion of the causes and how to fix them. Most of these causes should be checked by professionals who quickly understand and identify why your garage door keeps opening on its own.
1. Improper Closing
If the door is not properly shut, it can reverse and open. You may not have closed the door properly, especially if you drive off before closing your garage.
What to do:
- Try to confirm if you closed it properly. Close it again.
2. Foreign Objects
It will refuse to close if your garage door has foliage, snow, ice, paper, dirt, debris, and other objects. Garage doors have a reversing mechanism sensor that prevents the occurrence of falling objects and protects you from getting crushed when the door is closing.
If these foreign objects lie beneath the safety eye beam, the door then opens itself after you have set it to close. If any object or debris blocks the door’s path, the door will not close.
What to do:
- If the door is faulty, check for breaks, loose wires, and damages. Contact a professional to repair it.
- Remove objects or debris that will prevent the door from closing.
- Regularly remove the build-up of snow and ice.
- Keep items away from the sensor to prevent them from activating the reverse mechanism.
3. Radio Interference
All garage doors use radio frequencies to open and close. There is a possibility that your neighbour’s door is on the same frequency as yours, which might be the reason your garage door keeps opening on its own. This situation is called “cross-frequency.”
What to do:
- If your garage door’s radio frequency has been interfered with, you only need to erase the memory and reprogram your garage door’s opener.
3. Faulty Electrical Circuit
An electric circuit board controls your garage door, and any system operated by a circuit board is likely to be affected by weather elements.
A faulty electrical circuit board is caused by unexpected power outages and surges resulting from weather elements such as thunderstorms, windstorms, and heavy rain.
What to do:
- Fix a damaged circuit board. You can do this if you are skilled with electricity or invite a garage door professional to fix it.
4. Faulty Remote Control
When your garage door opener’s remote control is faulty, it sends faulty and incorrect signals to the operator, making it open by itself.
A faulty remote control results from damaged inner circuits, and once the wires and contacts of the remote get fused, loose, or worn out, the remote control sends the wrong signal to your garage door.
Also, if the buttons on your remote control get stuck, it sends an incorrect signal to your garage door, causing it to open independently.
The batteries of your remote control may be breaking down or positioned incorrectly, which can also lead to the door opening by itself. Also, when kids play around with the remote control, they sometimes press the wrong buttons or stick their fingers in the wrong place.
What to do:
- Repair the inner circuit board of your remote control.
- Change the batteries or position them correctly.
- Check to see if there’s a stuck button and try to push it out.
- You can also open the remote control and blow out any dust, dirt, or debris in the circuit.
- Fix loose, fused, or broken wire.
- The remote should be kept out of the reach of children.
5. Damaged Wires
Most of the wires are linked to the control panel (motor). These wires are bound to get cut or damaged. They are vulnerable to moisture and constant heating. Animals such as rats also cut these wires.
What to do:
- Exposed wires are dangerous and can lead to electrocution. It is best to get help from a technician to fix them.
- In the case of complex wiring, do not attempt to fix it yourself.
6. Sensor
If your garage door opener’s sensor is misaligned, there’s a possibility of your door malfunctioning. Each garage door uses two safety sensors on both sides of the door opening. If one doesn’t align properly with the other, the door opens independently.
An interruption with the ray of light makes the sensor suggest an obstruction, which activates your garage door’s reverse mechanism. It can also be a result of poor or incorrect wire connections.
What to do:
- First, disable your garage door sensors to close the door temporarily. Hold the wall button down until the garage door hits the floor. Then release the button. Do not press and release the button to prevent the initiation of the reverse mechanism.
- If possible, check for bent or bumped garage door tracks and realign the sensors.
- Otherwise, have your garage door fixed by an expert.
7. Wireless Signals
When there’s a conflict between wireless signals or the signals are overlapping, your garage door will open independently. This happens mostly if you have the same code as your neighbour.
What to do:
- Ask your neighbour to open and shut their garage door while you observe yours.
- Once you’ve confirmed that your door reacts to its frequency, change your garage door opener’s frequency.
- You’ll have to change yours if you can’t outrightly ask your neighbour to change their code. However, garage doors are of different models and brands, and changing the opener’s frequency is different too. Check your garage door manufacturer’s guidance on changing your opener’s frequency.
8. Settings
All garage doors have a limit setting that controls how much the door opens and closes. The limit setting prevents your garage door from opening and closing independently. An incorrect or outdated limit setting can cause your garage door to malfunction.
What to do:
- Adjust your limit setting. The position of your garage door limit switch adjustment screw varies depending on your door brand or model. Some are located close to the opener’s motor mechanism.
- If there are closing issues, turn the limit adjustment crew anticlockwise.
9. Broken Springs
Constant tension leads to broken springs; once the springs are damaged, the cables are at higher risk of snapping. The garage door springs are your garage door’s powerhouse and movement controller. These springs are of different sizes and types: torsion and extension springs.
What to do:
- Do not touch the broken springs to prevent accidental injuries, as the doors are heavy and do not have an intact spring to hold them in place.
- Have the broken springs been checked and fixed by a garage door professional?
10. Controlling Board and Transformer
When your garage door’s controlling board and transformer are damaged, it leads to malfunctioning. Electrical problems, sudden electrical surges from weather elements, or power outages cause damage.
What to do:
- Check the voltage that comes in and goes out of the controlling board and transformer using a multimeter. This will help detect which is bad and which needs to be replaced.
- It is best to call a garage door expert to check, repair the door, and replace the control board and transformer if needed.
- Once your garage door is fixed, install an electrical surge protector to prevent your garage door controlling board and transformer from being damaged next time.
11. Damaged Logic Board
The logic board may be faulty or damaged due to manufacturing issues. An electrical surge due to a power outage can also cause the logic board to malfunction. Extreme temperatures or conditions such as leaks, humidity, or wetness also lead to a damaged logic board.
What to do:
- Replace logic boards. This is, however, determined by the model and condition of the control panel. However, in most cases, getting a new in-garage motor is better than replacing the parts on one in worn-out condition.
12. Heavy Door
If your garage door becomes swollen and heavy over time, it becomes too weak to close, causing it to open by itself.
What to do:
- Replace old and heavy garage doors. Call in a professional to do this.
Is it Safe to Leave My Garage Door Open If It Keeps Opening On Its Own?
No, it is not safe to leave your garage door open if it keeps opening on its own. When a garage door opens unexpectedly and remains open, it poses several risks to your safety and security.
Firstly, an open garage door can provide easy access for burglars or intruders to enter your home or steal valuable items stored in the garage.
It essentially leaves your property vulnerable to theft and increases the chances of unauthorized entry.
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