5 Things to Check If Your Garage Door Opens or Closes on Its Own

Has your garage door suddenly started opening and closing on its own? Whether it’s right in front of your eyes or in the middle of the night, this can be an unsettling experience. Before you start to wonder whether or not your garage door is haunted, consider the more realistic possibilities that could be causing your garage door to act up. You can attempt to apply several of the fixes below before having to call in a professional, which can potentially save you some money. Never allow the issue to continue, however; not only is it a sign of something wrong with your garage door, but it also leaves your garage vulnerable to theft or animals.

Having your door appear to take on a life of its own and open and close by itself is actually a fairly uncommon problem, as far as garage door repair issues go, but it does happen. Usually the cause is one of a few things, listed below. Some of them require the help of a professional, but some can be checked yourself. It’s important to note the time of day when it happens, whether the door only opens or closes on its own or does both, and whether other garage doors in the area are being used at the time when the issue happens.

Problems with the Wiring

Different locations in your wiring can be susceptible to issues, especially over time with the normal wear and tear of everyday use. Rodents or insects can also chew away at the insulation of the wires, which can be a fire hazard. Problems you’re your garage door’s wiring can cause misfiring signals which would make the door open and close on its own. Inspect the wires connected to the opener mechanism, as well as those attached to the wall switch. Any that are showing signs of wear should be checked by a professional as soon as possible. These can be replaced and the problem should be resolved if faulty wiring is causing it.

Problems with the Circuit Board

While usually issues with your circuit board cause the door to not move at all, it’s also possible for there to be a short that causes the door to operate on its own. Test to see if your garage door motor seems to have power to it. Unplug the power and then leave it for a few minutes before plugging it back in, which will reset the system and may fix the problem with the circuit board. It’s also possible that the sensors related to the circuit board are going back.

If you suspect that your garage door circuit board is the cause, don’t attempt to repair it yourself. Instead, call a professional for their opinion. They can come out and inspect the panel fully to assess the exact cause of the door’s strange behavior.

Someone in Your Neighborhood Has the Same Garage Door Code

While a rare cause of this issue, especially with newer installations of garage doors, it still does happen on occasion. You can suspect this is the issue if you live in a subdivision where the houses are built fairly close together. Pay attention to whether the phantom garage door opening happens at the same time as other cars in your area arrive home. If someone else puts up their garage door, and your door goes up at the same time, you’ve found your culprit. If you know your neighbors well enough, you can also just ask them to help you by testing whether their garage door opener works on yours. A typical garage door signal doesn’t reach very far, and your door would only be affected by remote openers in close proximity to your house. So you don’t have to worry about knocking on doors all throughout your neighborhood.

Improper Close Force Setting

The close force setting is important to the performance of your door, as it allows your door to know via the amount of pressure it is experiencing when to stop moving. This is part of what prevents the mechanism from going any further than it should. Signs of this problem are if your garage door stops just before reaching the ground and goes in reverse. As important as it is, the close force setting is controlled by a simple screw on the device that can be located by using your garage door’s manual. Tightening this small screw can potentially return your door to normal performance.

An Obstruction on Your Garage Door’s Path

An obstruction to the normal path of your garage door can be caused by a number of things, including small branches or leaves getting stuck there, a build-up of lubricant that has hardened, or a collection of dirt that is blocking the path. These obstructions can infrequently cause your door to sense that something is wrong and reverse its path. Inspect the tracks carefully on both sides and clean out any obstructions that you find there.

Radio Frequency Interference

This final cause is probably the closest one to being haunted, only there are no ghosts involved, just radio frequencies. If you live close to a radio tower or a police station, and you’ve ruled out all of the above causes, then you can consider whether you are getting radio frequency interference. It’s harder to identify a cause in these situations, but if you suspect that’s the case, a garage door repair technician can help you figure out a solution.