A garage door that goes back up every time you try to close it is one of the most common calls we get. The good news: most of the time it’s a quick fix. Here’s a systematic way to diagnose the problem.
Start With the Most Common Cause: Safety Sensors
If your door opens fine but reverses when you try to close it, the safety sensors are the first place to look. Every garage door manufactured after 1993 has two photo-eye sensors — one on each side of the door near the floor. They emit an invisible beam across the door opening. If the beam is broken (or the sensors think it’s broken), the door reverses.
How to check your sensors:
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Look at the indicator lights on each sensor. The sending unit (usually yellow) should have a solid light. The receiving unit (usually green) should also be solid. If either light is blinking or off, the sensors are misaligned or blocked.
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Check for obstructions. Cobwebs, dirt, and debris can trigger a false obstruction reading. Wipe the sensor lenses with a clean cloth.
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Check alignment. The two sensor units need to be aimed directly at each other. If one has been bumped, kicked, or shifted, it may no longer be aligned. Loosen the wing nut, realign by hand until both lights are solid, then retighten.
Check the Opener’s Force and Limit Settings
If sensors check out, the issue may be the opener’s force or travel limit settings.
- Travel limit tells the opener how far down the door should travel before stopping. If set too high, the door thinks it has hit an obstruction before it reaches the floor.
- Force setting tells the opener how much resistance is normal. If it’s too sensitive, the door reverses when it encounters normal closing resistance.
These settings are adjusted via dials or programming buttons on the opener unit. Consult your opener’s manual or call us — we adjust these frequently.
Look for Physical Obstructions
Walk the track path and look for debris, bent sections, objects on the floor, or anything that could be blocking the door or sensor path. Even a garden hose draped across the sensor beam can cause the door to refuse to close.
Check the Remote vs. Wall Button
If the door closes with the wall button but not the remote:
- Replace the remote battery.
- If that doesn’t work, try reprogramming the remote (hold the learn button on the opener and press the remote button).
- If it still won’t work, the remote may need replacement.
When to Call a Professional
Call a garage door technician if:
- Sensors are aligned and clean but the door still reverses
- The opener makes unusual noises during the close attempt
- The door doesn’t close fully (stops partway down)
- The issue appeared suddenly after nothing obvious changed
North Denver Garage Doors diagnoses and repairs door-won’t-close issues across the Denver metro. Call (720) 983-3269 for same-day service.