# garage door won't stay closed



## albertkao (Jul 28, 2010)

My double garage door can open and close normally.
Suddenly yesterday the garage door can open normally as usual but won't stay close.
It will touch the bottom of the floor and then immediately open again.
A workaround is that when it touch the bottom of the floor, if I pull the red emergency release string at the right time then it will stay close.
Please help to solve the problem.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

There will be an adjustment knob or screw on the garage door opener ( the big box mounted to the ceiling ) to control exactly when the door will stop. Reversing is what it does when it hits an obstruction. It is trying to close too far.


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

Depending on your location, also check to see if you have snow or ice, either on the concrete or stuck to the bottom of the door iteself, that is preventing it from closing as far as it used to.


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## firehawkmph (Dec 12, 2009)

Albert,
if you aren't sure what you are doing, call a local garage door repairman. Yours is a simple service call. He can readjust the limit controls, check operation, lube everything up, and you should be all set.
Mike Hawkins


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## epson (Jul 28, 2010)

Check to make sure that the optical safety beams are working properly. Then make sure that the indicator light located on your safety beams are solid and not blinking. If the light is blinking make sure that the lenses are clean and that there are no obstructions blocking the path of the infrared beam traveling from lens to lens. If those solutions are not helpful make sure that the lenses are aligned properly by grabbing the safety beam and gently twisting the bracket back into realignment until the light stops blinking. If that does not work make sure that there are no staples digging into the wire causing a short. Also check for pinched wires that run from the opener to the safety beams. To make sure that the safety beams are the problem you can just HOLD the wall button and the door should close. If the door closes by (holding) the wall button but doesn't close by pressing and depressing it quickly, “suspect the optical safety beams.”


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## firehawkmph (Dec 12, 2009)

epson said:


> Check to make sure that the optical safety beams are working properly. Then make sure that the indicator light located on your safety beams are solid and not blinking. If the light is blinking make sure that the lenses are clean and that there are no obstructions blocking the path of the infrared beam traveling from lens to lens. If those solutions are not helpful make sure that the lenses are aligned properly by grabbing the safety beam and gently twisting the bracket back into realignment until the light stops blinking. If that does not work make sure that there are no staples digging into the wire causing a short. Also check for pinched wires that run from the opener to the safety beams. To make sure that the safety beams are the problem you can just HOLD the wall button and the door should close. If the door closes by (holding) the wall button but doesn't close by pressing and depressing it quickly, “suspect the optical safety beams.”


Epi,
His problem is not with the eyes. His down limit control needs to be reset and/or the downward clutch may need to be set a little stronger. If his eyes weren't seeing each other, his door would not go down except for holding the wall station button continuously. Also, like previously mentioned, if he is in a cold climate and gets an inch or so of ice froze up under the door, the door will think it's hitting an obstruction and reverse itself. He didn't sound like he was very versed with openers, that's why I suggested having a local repairman come out. Should only be a $60 service call.

Mike Hawkins


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## albertkao (Jul 28, 2010)

SPS-1 said:


> There will be an adjustment knob or screw on the garage door opener ( the big box mounted to the ceiling ) to control exactly when the door will stop. Reversing is what it does when it hits an obstruction. It is trying to close too far.


I turn the "Down" limit adjustment screw so that the garage door will stop momentarily at 3 feet above ground (higher than the safety reversing sensors), then reverse to a fully open position. There is no visible obstruction or interference to travel cycle and no opener light is flashing. The safety reversing sensors are not obstructed.


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## firehawkmph (Dec 12, 2009)

albertkao said:


> I turn the "Down" limit adjustment screw so that the garage door will stop momentarily at 3 feet above ground (higher than the safety reversing sensors), then reverse to a fully open position. There is no visible obstruction or interference to travel cycle and no opener light is flashing. The safety reversing sensors are not obstructed.


 Albert,
What kind of opener do you have? Is there a screw or knob labeled "down force" ? If there is, try turning it up a little at a time and see if your door will stop and stay put at the bottom of its travel.
Mike Hawkins


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## albertkao (Jul 28, 2010)

I increase the "Down (close)" force so that the garage door is opened and closed as usual.
Problem is solved.


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## firehawkmph (Dec 12, 2009)

Sound good Albert.
Mike Hawkins


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

Be careful. You should be working more with the "down position" than the "down force". If the door is hitting the concrete and pushing hard, you can put excessive force on the linkage arm to the door, and the joint can eventually fatigue and break.


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## firehawkmph (Dec 12, 2009)

SPS-1 said:


> Be careful. You should be working more with the "down position" than the "down force". If the door is hitting the concrete and pushing hard, you can put excessive force on the linkage arm to the door, and the joint can eventually fatigue and break.


 SP,
He had backed off the down limit control so the door was stopping a few feet off the ground when he turned up the down force. Then he reset the down limits till it touched the ground. 
I ususally set the down limit to just compress the rubber seal on the door and then check the down force adjustment to make sure the door self reverses when hitting an object in the way.
Mike Hawkins


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## peterful (Oct 8, 2013)

If adjusting the down limit control doesn't fix the problem, remove the cover (8 screws) and check the wires by the up and down limit controls. Because the center contact moves back and forth, it might have fatigued and broken, so there is an open circuit for the shutoff and it will not work. Reconnect the broken wire.


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