We get asked all types of technical questions here at Guardian Doors. But the most popular queries are around why or how does my garage door open on its own?
Fortunately, there are only a few reasons your door could open on its own. The door motor requires a command to function, and there aren’t too many places that command can arise. We’ve detailed the top five reasons this can happen to your door, and what to do about it.
1. Faulty Remote Control
Your remote control may be faulty and sending faulty signals to the operator. Suppose your remote is like most people’s. In that case, it’s been thrown into bags, left on the car visor, on the patio table, hidden in an external place for others, e.g. gardener, cleaner or friend, etc. These conditions aren’t always kind to the inner circuit board of the remote control. Consequently, contacts can be worn or fused. Therefore, they send false signals to your garage door motor to open or close.
What to do: If you think faulty signals may be the cause, there’s little point trying to repair the inner board. Because these parts are not usually manufactured. Instead, clear the memory of your garage door motor and re-sync new remote controls. All will be sorted.
2. Force limits set incorrectly
When your door is serviced, the garage door technician should also service the motor at the point travel limits are set. (The motor requires this input to tell it where to start and stop). If motor servicing was not included in your recent service, then it might be set incorrectly. Therefore, the door is re-opening after a command – it may have travelled too far and come back on itself.
What to do: Be selective when choosing a garage door service provider. Tempting as it may be to use the local Gumtree special, don’t. If someone is servicing your door, they should do it correctly. Otherwise, you could waste your money. The motor and garage door needs to work in harmony to ensure safe, secure operation. Therefore, servicing one without the other is pointless. To fix this, we recommend a full garage door and motor service. This will reset everything and ensure the two are working harmoniously.
3. Cross Frequency
Cross frequency occurs when a neighbouring remote control accidentally syncs to your garage door opener. Supposed you purchase a new remote control and set it up in your garage. There’s a chance that at that exact time, your neighbour has used their remote. If this is the case, the motor will have picked up that command and included your neighbours remote in its register. So each time your neighbour uses their remote, your door responds.
What to do: Clear the frequency of your motor. (This will erase the existing memory, including your neighbour’s remote.) Then, step by step, re-sync each remote control you want to have working in your garage door operation.
*Maybe select a time that is usually quiet in your area to try and limit any external interference.
4. Faulty Logic Board
Sometimes the logic board may be faulty due to a manufacturing issue. (If so, any reputable garage door service provider will replace the product free of charge). Sometimes, a power outage has surged, causing the logic board to fail. Alternatively, conditions in the garage (very wet, suffering leaks, extreme humidity) can also cause faults on logic boards.
What to do: Replacement logic boards are available for most garage door motors currently on the market. However, it’s worth considering the age and general condition of the motor in place. Sometimes it’s more cost-effective to have a new motor with a full warranty, rather than replacement parts on a motor with wear and tear.
5. Kids pressing buttons
Those with kids will realise this isn’t as silly as it sounds. Kids sticking fingers in the wrong places cause around 40% of garage door impacts we attend.) With your remotes you will usually have a wall button that is placed inside your garage at your direction.
What to do: Guardian Doors would recommend the remote be placed out of reach of small fingers addicted to button pressing. The correct remote positioning is for your sanity, everyone’s safety and the family budget.
