If your garage door won't open or close, the most common causes are a dead remote battery, blocked or misaligned safety sensors, a broken spring, a door that's off its track, or a power fault at the opener. Several of these you can check in under two minutes — but anything involving springs, cables, or the track is best left to a technician, because those parts are under high tension.
Start with the two-minute checks
Before assuming the worst, rule out the simple stuff. Make sure the opener is plugged in and the outlet has power — a tripped GFCI or breaker is a surprisingly common culprit. Try the hard-wired wall button as well as the remote: if the wall button works but the remote doesn't, you likely just need a fresh remote battery or to re-pair the remote.
Check whether the opener is in vacation or lock mode (many wall consoles have a lock button that disables remotes). And glance at the two small safety sensors near the floor on each side of the door — if their indicator lights are off or blinking, that points to a sensor problem rather than a mechanical one.
The door won't close, but the motor runs
When the opener tries to close and the door reverses back up, the safety sensors are almost always the reason. They face each other across the opening and the door won't close if the invisible beam between them is blocked or the sensors are knocked out of alignment.
Clear anything in the door's path, wipe the sensor lenses, and gently nudge them until both indicator lights glow steady. If the door still reverses, the opener's close-force or travel limits may need adjusting — that's a quick service call.
The door won't open or feels stuck
A door that won't open — or suddenly feels extremely heavy — usually means a broken spring or a cable that has slipped off its drum. You may have heard a loud bang from the garage when it failed. The springs counterbalance the door's weight, so once one breaks, the opener (or your back) is left lifting the full load.
Do not force a stuck door or keep pressing the opener button. Forcing it can bend panels, damage the opener, or send a cable whipping loose. Pull the red emergency release only if the door is fully closed, and leave it alone until a technician can look at it.
When to call a pro
Remote batteries and sensor alignment are fair game to try yourself. Springs, cables, and off-track doors are not — they're the parts that cause the most garage-door injuries. If the quick checks don't solve it, give us a call: we respond the same day across Southeast Texas and carry common parts on the truck to finish in one visit.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does my garage door open but not close?
- Nine times out of ten it's the safety sensors near the floor — the beam between them is blocked or they've been bumped out of alignment. Clear the path, clean the lenses, and line them up until both lights are steady. If it still won't close, the opener's travel limits may need adjusting.
- Is it safe to force a stuck garage door?
- No. A door that's stuck usually has a broken spring or cable, which means it's no longer counter-balanced. Forcing it can damage the opener and door or injure someone. Stop using it and call for service.