There are a few common reasons a garage door opens by itself, including everything from an issue with the wiring to a neighbor who has the same opener code as you.
In this article, you will discover 7 common reasons to consider.
So, Your Garage Door Opens By Itself
Before we get into the reasons a garage door opens by itself (usually), we just want to take a moment to stress the importance of resolve the matter quickly.
The garage door is probably the largest opening to your house, which burglars can use to gain access to your vehicles, backyard, and, more importantly, the inside of your home. For this reason, it’s important to address the problem sooner than later.
Take action and call a professional garage door service for help.
Now, let’s take a closer look at some of the reasons this problem may be occurring …
7 Possible Reasons
There are several reasons why the garage door may be opening without you knowing. Here are a few of the most common reasons why:
1. Your neighbors have the same garage door opener code
This doesn’t happen too often, but if your door is opening on its own, it’s worth checking. In some instances, your door will be opening as its set to the same wireless code as your neighbor’s garage door. All you have to do is ask your neighbor to open their garage door and see if your door starts opening too. If it does, you’ll just need to change your door’s code. The instructions to do this should be in your garage door manual, and it will be fairly simple to do.
2. There’s radio interference
As your automatic garage door opener works on a wireless signal, you may find that radio signals may be affecting it. CB radios, police radios, radio stations or radio towers can all interfere with your garage door, making it open and close. You may need to call in a garage door technician to identify the issue and correct it for you.
3. The remote control is defective
The issue may be down to the remote control to your garage door. If the remote is defective, or the batteries are wearing down, then it may start sending out random signals, including the one to open and close the door. Change out the batteries to see if that resolves the issue. If it doesn’t, you can buy a new remote to see if that will help. It’s a fairly inexpensive fix, so it’s worth trying out if you’re not sure what’s causing this problem for you.
4. The safety sensors are blocked
Most automatic garage doors have an auto-reverse feature, which is designed with your safety in mind. If anything is in the path of the door, then the door will open back up to avoid hitting it. This stops the door damaging your car, or touching animals or children that may be in the way. These sensors are affected if there’s something blocking them, or if they’re damaged. The smallest thing can cause them to become blocked, such as snow, leaves, or even dirt. Take a look at your sensors, and clean them if they need cleaning. This could solve the issue of the door opening and closing by itself.
If you have a door opener button outside of the garage, it could just be that the button is stuck. Dirt and debris can get in the button, causing it to stick down and continually open and close the door. Take a look at your door button, and see if it’s stuck down. If it is, a simple cleaning is all that’s needed to solve the issue.
6. There’s a short circuit in the circuit board
This is one of the more likely reasons your garage door is opening and closing by itself. If the door is doing this and there’s no obvious cause, then you may want to get the circuit board looked at. Call a technician who’ll be able to examine it, and make any repairs that are necessary.
7. There are issues with the wiring
Is the wiring for your garage door exposed? If so, this could be the problem. A bare spot on your circuit board can brush up against any other metal part of your door, activating it and causing the door to open. A simple repair to the board or wire will solve this. If you’re not sure how to do it yourself, then call in a garage door company and they’ll take care of it for you.
DIY Or Professional Repair?
Now you know there’s a problem with your garage door, what are going to do in order to get it fixed? Are you going to try a DIY repair or are you going to call in the experts? The answer depends on what issue is causing your door to malfunction. If it’s a simple issue, such as the door button being stuck or the remote developing a fault, then you can take care of them yourself with little difficulty.
If the problem is bigger than you were expecting, then you’ll want to call in an expert to take a look at it for you. Garage doors are dangerous when they’re not handled correctly, so you don’t want to take any chances when they need repair.
Maintain Your Garage Door
To avoid this problem happening in the future, it’s a good idea to maintain your garage door regularly. Keeping a close eye on the door means you can catch the problem before it becomes any worse.
Use an online maintenance guide to help you keep your garage door in top shape. You’ll be able to spot problems before they become any worse.
A garage door opening and closing on its own is a rare problem, but it does happen. If you’re finding your garage door is doing this, go through the checklist and see what’s causing it. In most cases, you’ll be able to handle it by yourself. Get the door fixed quickly, to ensure that your home is safe.