Garage Door Will Not Open in Killeen: What Next?

When a garage door will not open, start with the simple causes you can check safely: power to the opener, the remote, the wall control's lock feature, and the safety sensors. If the motor hums or runs but the door does not move, or you can see a broken spring, a loose cable or a door hanging crooked, stop there and call a pro. Springs and cables hold the door's weight under high tension and are not a homeowner repair.

First, look before you press anything again

Stand inside the garage with the door closed and look up and along the sides. Signs that mean "stop and call a pro" include:

• a torsion spring above the door with a visible gap in its coils;
• a frayed, slack or snapped lifting cable at either bottom corner;
• a door sitting crooked, out of its track, or with a bent section.

If you see any of these, do not keep pressing the button and do not pull the manual release.

Safe checks you can do

Power. Make sure the opener's light comes on and the unit is plugged in. If nothing on the opener responds, check whether a breaker has tripped. After a thunderstorm, check whether the power is out before assuming the opener has failed.

The remote versus the wall button. Try the wall control. If the wall button works but the remotes do not, replace the remote's battery first. Then check the lock feature: on LiftMaster's 880LM wall control, for example, the LOCK feature stops remotes from working while the wall control and keypad still operate. It is easy to turn on by accident. Your wall control's manual shows how to turn it off.

The safety sensors. Most problems here stop the door from closing rather than opening, but they are worth checking. The two small sensors near the floor on each side of the opening should face each other with nothing between them. Clear away boxes, bikes or yard tools, wipe the lenses with a soft cloth, and see whether both indicator lights are steady. If one is out of line, gently turn it by hand to face the other, as the International Door Association describes.

Hot afternoons. If the door sticks or rubs only on hot days, the panels may be bowing in the heat. The door industry's trade group, DASMA, explains that insulated doors facing the sun can bow outward and rub the header. A pro can add reinforcing struts.

The manual release: use it with care

Every automatic opener has a release, usually a red handle hanging from the rail, that disconnects the door so you can lift it by hand. LiftMaster's manual gives clear warnings:

• if possible, use the release only when the door is closed;
• make sure the doorway is clear of people and objects first;
• weak or broken springs, or an unbalanced door, can make an open door fall quickly and without warning;
• never use the release to stop a falling door.

With the door closed, pull the handle and try lifting the door from the bottom. The International Door Association says a properly balanced door should rise smoothly and stay open. If it feels very heavy or will not stay up, lower it gently, leave it closed and call a pro. That usually points to a spring problem.

When to stop and call a pro

Call a local pro if:

• you see a broken spring, a damaged cable or a door off its track;
• the opener motor runs or hums but the door does not move;
• the door is very heavy when released;
• the door will not reverse when it touches an object on the way down.

When you send a request, include whether the door is fully closed, partly open or stuck, what you heard or saw when it stopped, and whether a car is trapped inside. If the problem is a spring, the spring warning signs guide explains what to expect. For a quick turnaround, see urgent repair requests; for an opener that has failed for good, see whether to repair or replace an opener. If someone is hurt or trapped, call 911 first.

We connect Killeen homeowners with independent local pros. You confirm the price and schedule directly with them.

Common questions

Why does my garage door opener run but the door does not move?

The opener may be disconnected from the door by the manual release, or the door may be too heavy to lift because a spring has broken. Look for a gap in the spring coils before trying again, and call a pro if you see one.

How do I open my garage door during a power outage?

With the door closed, pull the manual release handle and lift the door by hand. If it is heavy or will not stay up, lower it gently and leave it for a pro.

Is it safe to open a garage door with a broken spring?

No. A door with a broken spring is very heavy and can fall quickly. Leave it closed and have a pro replace the spring.