Garage door openers are electric motors that open and close your garage door for you.
Diagnosing the cause can be very simple, but it may also require calling a garage door service
technician. It may seem simple but the first thing to check is to make sure you have power to
the opener, it could be a tripped breaker or even a tripped GCFI plug causing the problem.
If you determine that you have power to the motor, the next step is to check and see if the wall
button for the garage door opener works. Many times the issue is only with the remotes. If the
wall button works, then replace the batteries in the remotes and retest the remotes. If the wall
button does not work, then the problem could be a broken spring(s) making the door too heavy
for the opener to lift.
If you determine you have a broken or failing spring, call a garage door
service technician to perform the repairs, garage door springs are dangerous, and are not a do
it yourself project. One way to test the springs is to first disengage the garage door opener from
the garage door by pulling the red cord or handle. This disengages the garage door from the
opener. Now manually try to lift the garage door, if it is very heavy to lift, then you have either
broken or failing spring(s). If the door opens easily then the problem is in the garage door
opener.
Testing Remotes:
As stated earlier you will want to test the remotes for your garage door after replacing the
batteries. Many times new batteries in the remotes fixes the issue. If the remotes still don’t
work, but the wall button does, then the problem is either in the remote (transmitter) or the
receiver inside the unit. You can order new remotes for your operator online or for most
models you can by replacement remotes at a local home improvement store like Home Depot
or Lowe’s. Make sure you know the manufacturer and model number for your opener, to make
sure you get new remotes that will work with your opener. If new remote still don’t work, then
you know it is in the receiver. If the receiver is bad you still have options, you can replace the
opener, you can order a new receiver to install in your opener, or you can by an external
receiver and new remotes.
Replacing a receiver board:
If you decide to replace the receiver, also called the logic board, you will need to know the
manufacturer and model number of your garage door opener. You can order replacement
receivers/logic boards for most brand operators online or from a garage door service company.
The cost of a new receiver/logic board installed will be around $189.00-$250.00. Replacing the
receiver/logic board is fairly simple. You will first unplug the unit from the power source. Next
you will disconnect the wires from the old receiver/logic board, noting where they plug in to
the new unit, and remove the old receiver/logic board. Next install the new receiver/logic
board and reconnect the wires, just as they were on the old receiver/logic board. Be careful not
to touch the components on the new receiver /logic board as this can cause them to
malfunction. Then reinstall the outer motor cover and then plug the unit back in to the power
source. Test the opener, checking for proper open and close limits. Follow the manufacturer’s
directions for setting the open and close limits. You will also need to reprogram your remotes
to the new receiver. Most units use a learn button, follow the manufacturer’s directions for
programming remotes. Do not forget to reprogram your outside keypad if you have one.
This is not a 100% fix but in most cases if the receiver stops working, installing a new one will
fix the problem.
