A garage door system can work perfectly one minute, and be difficult to open and close the next time you use it. Knowing how your garage door system works can help you uncover what is going on with your garage door and know when it is time to call overhead door services. Whether your door won't engage because of a lack of power, or the door only shuts partway before changing direction, you can figure out what is going on with your door with a bit of inspection. While you may still need to call for a garage door repair, it helps to know common reasons why your garage door stops working.

Problems With the Tracks

Even the slightest problem with one of your tracks can make it difficult to open and close your garage door. If a bracket goes missing, this can make your tracks uneven. This will cause your door to open partway and then start to shut again. Brackets get loose over time because the movement of the door causes a vibration. You might also have a small pebble or stick in your track that can be removed easily. Look over your tracks and make sure they are clean when the door won't open or close correctly.

Your Opener Won't Engage

No power supply is the most common reason your opener won't start opening your garage door. Make sure that the unit didn't get unplugged accidentally. Check the wall unit if your remote doesn't work. Make sure there is power going to your garage because the problem could be a tripped circuit or a power outage that has nothing to do with your opener. If you can't figure out the problem, call for a garage door repair.

The Door Won't Shut Completely

Your photo sensors protect small pets and children from getting stuck beneath a door as it shuts. If the sensors are not facing one another, your door won't shut all the way. If the sensors are fine, you might need to have the close limit setting adjusted. When you have a garage door that won't shut all the way, you can also try unplugging the opener and plugging it back in once to see if that works.

When you can't get your garage door to function properly, it's time to get the help you need. Contact an overhead door repair specialist and get your system the care it needs to work correctly.