Why is Your Garage Door Mysteriously Opening?

As your house’s main entry point, a garage door must be in good condition. If you notice the door opening and closing automatically, you need to identify the potential issues. There can be many reasons that make your garage door open automatically in the morning or at night. In this post, we have listed a few reasons and ways to deal with the issue. Let’s take a look.

1. Malfunctioning Sensor

Garage doors built after 1993 are equipped with smart sensors that automatically detect an object near the door. This keeps the door from closing on a vehicle, person, or pet. However, if these sensors start malfunctioning, the doors won’t be able to detect the objects in the way of the door and may close on people or pets.

Old garage doors have physical sensors that activate the reverse mechanism as soon as the door touches an object. Newer models have photo eye sensors. If you come near the garage door, the sensors will detect your presence, causing the door to stop. If these sensors stop functioning, the door might open and close regardless of whether there’s an object in the way. The sensor might detect a false object, causing the door to open automatically.

Never keep sports equipment, vehicles, and other objects too close to the sensors. Call a professional if you have cleaned the sensors and removed everything from the way, but the door still doesn’t open. You may have to repair and replace the sensors.

2. A problem in the Opener

Garage doors come with an opener located on the exteriors or the interiors. This can be the keypad or the remote. If the garage door is opening and closing mysteriously, there could be a problem with the opener.

If the buttons on the remote or the keypad get dirty or dusty, the buttons could stick. As a result, the door will stay open. This can also cause a continuous on-and-off cycle. Check the remote to see if the buttons are pressed down or feel sticky. You can wipe the opener gently with a clean cloth to loosen and remove the dirt.

If it still doesn’t work, there might be a fault in the wiring of the opener (just like the sensor). If that’s the case, you will need to work with a professional contractor to fix the damage. If the keypad opener is in good condition, the problem could be in the remote. Don’t put your garage remote where someone can accidentally press the remote buttons.

3. Overlapping Signals

If you have another wireless device that uses radio frequency to operate near the garage door, there’s a possibility your garage door is picking those signals. Or, your neighbours might have the same garage door that operates on a frequency level similar to your doors. This makes your garage doors open automatically as your neighbours open their doors.

Ask your neighbour to open the garage doors and watch your garage as they do so. If overlapping signals are causing the problem, you may have to change the radio frequency of your garage opener. Read the manufacturer’s instructions to change the frequency. You can also seek professional assistance if you aren’t sure about changing the garage door’s radio frequency.

4. A problem in the Limit Settings

Your garage door consists of several adjustable settings that can be tweaked based on your requirements. These mainly include the open and close limit settings. These settings tell your garage door how far it needs to go to be fully open and closed. As soon as the door reaches these limits, it will stop automatically. If you have incorrectly adjusted the settings, that might be the culprit for the mysteriously opening or closing of the garage door. Check your doors closely and see how far they go before stopping.

You can manually correct the limit settings on your garage door opener. The door’s limit switch for opening and closing is located near the motor mechanism. You need a screwdriver to turn the limits up and down a few inches. Do it until the garage opens and closes fully. This must fix the issue. If you are still experiencing the same problem, call a mechanic for assistance.

5. Circuit Board Malfunction

Garage door remotes and sensors are excellent pieces of technology for a modern homeowner. They are connected to the circuit board, streamlining the garage opening and closing operations. It’s because of this combination of tools that your doors open flawlessly. However, the circuit board can be the culprit behind a malfunctioning garage door. The circuit inside the motor can cause the garage door to close automatically. Another sign there’s a problem with the circuit or logic board is the flashing door lights.

If that’s the issue, there’s nothing you can do to fix it. You are going to need a professional mechanic to diagnose the problem in the circuitry. Usually, problems in the circuit boards occur due to unpleasant weather. Heavy rainstorms or thunderstorms can damage the circuitry, causing your garage doors to open and close mysteriously.

6. Misaligned Wires

The safety sensors and the garage openers are connected to the circuit board and the door through small wires. A short circuit can impact the wiring, leading to the mysteriously opening garage doors. The damage in the wiring can also occur due to nail piercing, garage tools placed too close to the door, and a mouse. This is, again, something you can’t DIY. Call an electrician to check the control wires and align them.

Bottom Line

Your garage door opening and closing automatically is a cause for concern. Not only does it pose a risk to your property, but it can invite pests to your place. There’s also a risk that the door might close on a pet or person, causing physical injury. It’s best to leave the repair work to a professional. Call a garage door repair specialist or an electrician to identify the root cause of the issue and have it fixed quickly.