What to Check When Your Garage Door Opens On Its Own

Did you know that garage doors can open by themselves? It is a common problem for many homeowners. Sometimes you may find that the garage door keeps opening even after closing it. This, of course, is very distressing — knowing this could happen when you are not at home, and the potential threat of an intruder is scary. Luckily you can call an expert to check it out.

A garage door going up and down on its own is frustrating. Do not worry; it has nothing to do with ghosts or airplanes. It’s something that can be explained. Continue reading to find out why the garage door is opening on its own.

What Are the Reasons When a Garage Door Opens by Itself

Are you wondering, ‘Why does my garage door open by itself?’ Some causes are as simple as an obstruction in the doorway. It can be something more serious such as a destroyed fuse. Either way, these are situations that can be easily resolved with the help of an expert. We will discuss the main points of why a garage door opens randomly and possible solutions.

1. Foreign objects

Foliage, ice, paper, piles of dirt, unattended toys, and pebbles are a few things that could result in a garage door opening randomly. If these objects lie beyond the path of the safety eye beam, the door opens immediately after you seemingly close it. This annoying occurrence is due to the reverse. It is essential to any garage door as it keeps its powerful force from destroying anything valuable that could be underneath.

Any debris that will prevent the door from closing completely should be removed from the area. Weather is a trickier thing to handle, especially during the winter. The build-up of snow and ice could prove problematic and can easily get out of hand. Therefore, regular removal of snow and ice is advised.

2. Sensors

Most people tend to get bewildered by the fact that their garage doors will keep misbehaving even after they have removed all possible obstacles. Another cause of such malfunctions could be faulty sensors. The typical garage door has two sensors placed on each side. Also known as eyes, sensors activate the reversing mechanism. They detect any obstructions that could lie in the door’s path.

To work properly, both sensors are completely synchronized. This way, a beam that each sensor emits will be able to merge and form a single beam. When in sync, sensors can detect an obstruction if it blocks the path of the beam. Misaligned sensors detect any obstruction causing the reversing mechanism to remain operational. This can be properly solved by a technician who should be able to re-align the sensors.

3. Electric circuit board

When nimbus clouds approach as the threat of rain accompanied by loud claps of thunder, the risk of all electronics getting damaged is very real. Anything that contains a circuit board could be affected. A circuit board controls the whole system. This means that a fried circuit board will lead to an open door. In extreme cases, the door will seize all functionality.

Homeowners should be wary of such problems as they are notoriously difficult and expensive to repair. An affected opener can be replaced, should this persist. Even professionals understand that it is not an easy fix.

They could fix the circuit board or outright replacing it, but it is expensive. Despite this, calling for a professional is the best thing one can do. New garage door opener installation requires specific skills, so you should avoid performing such work at home without experience. It is important to note that fixing such a problem is a must as it could prove dangerous if left unchecked.

4. Wiring to the control panel

If your garage door keeps going up, something else to check is the wiring. Most of the wires are connected to the motor. There is one wire that passes through the ceiling to the motor. Others pass by the door, linking the motor and sensors. These wires are bound to get damaged, making the garage door keep opening.

Things that can damage wires include:

• Moisture,
• Mechanical damage,
• Animals like rats,
• Constant heating,
• Aged wires,
• Equipment.

Damaged wires, especially bare ones, are very dangerous. You risk being electrocuted and, in the worst-case scenario, starting a fire. Always get help from a technician to replace the wires. Do not attempt to resolve this on your own because wiring can be complex.

5. Settings

The majority of garage doors, including the liftmaster, need a limit set. This controls the extent to which the door opens. It works the same for closing the door. This prevents the doors from opening and closing on their own. The setting helps you regulate the limit. So it may be time to readjust the limit.

Usually, the problem is in close settings. When the close setting exceeds the normal limit, the door may not close properly. However, this will happen before the closing limit. So it will not show that it has been closed. You may find the door open even after you closed it.

An improper closing or opening limit setting leads to an open door. A specialist can readjust the settings.

6. Springs and cables

Springs and cables are essential components in garage doors. They help with closing the door. Cables keep the door from violently hitting the ground. Like anything else, springs are likely to get worn out. Constant tension can lead to broken springs. Once the springs are damaged, the risk becomes higher for cables to snap. So it is necessary to invest in garage door maintenance. This way, your garage door will have fewer problems.

Can garage doors open by themselves? Yes, with both of these components damaged, it’s obvious that the door won’t function properly. Now, you may spot broken springs. However, never search for the cause on your own. Just call someone skilled in this department. You risk injuring yourself since you lack the tools to fix or replace springs. Just relax, and let the experts handle it on your behalf. Usually, springs and cables will be replaced at the same time. Doing this reduces the risks of further damage.

7. Codes

There are times, however few they may be, when the reason for a misbehaving door is not the person who owns it. Equally, it would have nothing to do with any faulty mechanisms, but in fact, the culprit would be something that a person would least expect — their neighbors. This case, as aforementioned, is rare.

Fortunately, this is an increasingly difficult issue to find since these garage doors are of an older model. The latest versions are much more advanced and can match an opener to its respective door via the LCD. If you still have an older model, it can be reset by clearing its history.

8. Remote control button

There are two types of controllers — a wall opener and a remote opener. There is a myriad of internal problems that both can face, most of them to do with wiring. These problems can only be fixed by trained professionals. Besides their obvious difference, both devices use buttons. This means that they are prone to similar problems.

As with all electrical devices that use buttons, garage openers may malfunction. Because of this, their buttons age and begin to stick and may not work at all. Remote openers can be misplaced because their batteries die. A misplaced remote opener is a troublesome situation and can result in outside forces pressing on buttons accidentally.

9. Doorway

A garage door is a complex apparatus. It needs to be maintained during its lifespan. Every mechanism should be checked and double-checked for any issues that could be present. A garage door that is not properly installed will result in a list of possible problems waiting to happen. One such problem is an inefficient garage door, which could have a multitude of problems.

These problems range from springs not set at the right tension to tracks that are not aligned accurately. In particular, these two problems will cause the door to exert more force than is necessary and will cause the door to vibrate. The complex door is also quite susceptible to the elements, and the sections of the door could get filled up with ice and will cause the door to misbehave.

10. Troubleshooting

An open door causes fear because someone can easily break into your house. So if you don’t want to be worried all the time, you have to find the cause as soon as you notice a problem. The easiest thing to do is to install some security measures while you wait for a diagnosis from a professional. Troubleshooting buys you some time. You should never check wires on your own to avoid injuries. You may also speak to neighbors and test to see if remotes are linked.

11. Check if it’s properly closed

Do not panic when the garage door opens on its own. First, ask yourself, ‘Why can a garage door open by itself?’ It probably is open because of human error. Maybe you did not close it properly. So the first step is to always try to confirm that it was closed. This is usually the case if you drive off before completely closing the garage.

12. Photo-eye

This is prone to be blocked by many things. Potential causes include ice, dust, and even sunlight. Sunlight can blind the Photo-eye. Because the sun’s rays hit the Photo-eye at different angles during different times of the day, it may cause an obstruction. Shadows from the sun’s rays falling on the ground may cause a flicker. This, in turn, has a blinding effect on the photo-eye.

You can solve this problem by switching the photo-eye to opposite sides. Another option is to buy a sun shield. Liftmaster has shields that surround the photo-eye. One more alternative is to move it far from the doorway. That way, they don’t get affected by the sun’s rays.

We Will Fix Any Breakdown When Your Garage Door Randomly Opens

When a garage door randomly opens, it can cause anxiety. Many things can cause this to happen. Sometimes it may be a little obstruction. So you can always try to identify what the issue might be. First, put security measures like using a lock to close an open garage. Proceed to check the remote or keypad. Asking your neighbors is also helpful since they might be having a similar problem.

But always remember that some problems can only be checked by experts. So always call an experienced technician who will identify the problem. Once the problem has been identified, the technician will fix it.

Worry no more about whether garage doors can open on their own. Simply contact the STI Garage Door service. Our services are available in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC!

STI Garage Door

Operating in the garage door industry for over 25 years, STI Garage Door is dedicated to quality service and excellence in everything.

The company is a proud partner to the top brands in the field — LiftMaster for commercial door openers and Amarr and Clopay for residential and commercial doors.