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Garage door won’t open

A door that will not open is usually a lifting problem rather than an electrical one. The springs carry the weight; when they fail, nothing else can compensate.

Car stuck inside? Call and tell us what the door is doing. Do not keep pressing the button — that tends to make the damage worse.

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The four usual causes

1 · A broken spring

Tell-tale: loud bang earlier, door extremely heavy, visible gap in the coil

The most common reason a door will not open. Springs counterbalance the door’s weight, and without them the opener is trying to lift the door’s full weight, which it was never designed to move.

Do not operate the door and do not try to lift it by hand. Keep people and vehicles clear of the opening and arrange service. More on spring repair.

2 · A snapped or slipped cable

Tell-tale: door sits crooked, slack cable visible at the drum

Lift cables transfer spring force to the door. If one fails, that side loses support and the door binds in the track.

Stop operating the door. Do not attempt to move it by hand. Cables are under load and the door is not stable.

3 · The opener has failed

Tell-tale: no sound, or a hum with no movement

A dead opener, a stripped drive gear or a failed logic board will leave the door closed. The distinguishing test is whether the door is easy to move once disconnected — but only attempt that if the springs are intact and the door is sitting square.

More on opener repair.

4 · The door is jammed or off track

Tell-tale: grinding, visible misalignment, door stuck at an angle

A roller out of its track, a bent section of track or a loose bracket will stop the door part-way. Do not force it and do not try to reseat it. An unsupported door can move without warning.

What is safe to check

First: if the door is crooked, off track, or you can see a slack or broken cable, stop. Do not operate it and do not try to move it by hand.

If the door is square and intact, these are safe:

  • Is the opener getting power? Check the outlet and the breaker.
  • Is the lock engaged? Many doors have a manual slide lock that will stop everything.
  • Does the wall button work when the remote does not? That points at the remote, not the door.
  • Look at the springs. A visible gap in a torsion coil is a broken spring.

What not to do

  • Do not keep pressing the button. Repeated attempts against a jammed or unbalanced door bend track, strip opener gears and can snap a second cable.
  • Do not pull on the door to help it. If the springs have failed, you are taking the door’s full weight with nothing supporting it.
  • Do not try to reseat a roller that has come out of the track. The door is not stable once it has left its guide.
  • Do not adjust opener force settings to make a heavy door move. That removes the protection that stops the opener pulling against an obstruction.

If a vehicle is trapped inside

Whether the car can be released depends entirely on the condition of the door. If the springs are intact, the door is sitting square, and nothing looks bent or slack, the emergency release disconnects the door from the opener so it can be raised by hand and secured open.

If you heard a bang, the door is crooked, a spring shows a visible gap, or a cable looks slack — do not attempt it. The door is carrying its full weight and there is nothing holding it up once it is disconnected. Tell us on the phone what you are seeing and we will tell you what is safe.

What we check when we arrive

Spring condition and remaining cycle life, door balance by hand with the opener disconnected, cable seating and wear at both drums, roller and track alignment, and opener drive and electronics. You see what is wrong and approve the price before any work is done.

Tell us what happened just before it stopped working — a bang, a grinding noise, or nothing at all. That usually identifies it.

CALL NOW — (516) 687-6171

What happens when you call

  1. You callTell us what the door is doing and what you heard.
  2. A technician takes a lookSomeone comes out, finds what failed and shows you.
  3. You get the price firstNothing starts until you say okay.
  4. It gets fixed and testedThe door is checked to make sure it opens, closes and reverses properly before the technician leaves.

What customers say on Google

5.0 on Google

Dror V.★★★★★ Google review
Our garage door spring snapped and the noise scared the hell out of our dog 😂 They came out quickly, replaced both springs, and adjusted the door so it was balanced correctly again. Very professional job.
Sapir G.★★★★★ Google review
I originally called for what I thought would be a small repair, but I was really impressed with how professional the whole experience was. The technician arrived on time and walked me through what needed to be done before starting. Great service overall.

Reviews shown exactly as customers wrote them on Google.

Common questions

My car is stuck in the garage. What can I do?
If the springs are intact and the door is sitting square, the emergency release disconnects the door from the opener so it can be lifted by hand. If you heard a bang, the door is crooked, or you can see a broken spring or slack cable, do not attempt this — the door is carrying its full weight and is not stable. Call and describe what you are seeing.
Why will my door close but not open?
That combination usually points to the springs. Closing is assisted by gravity; opening is what the springs are for. A door that closes normally but will not lift is a strong indicator of spring failure.
The opener runs but nothing happens. What does that mean?
The motor has power and is turning, but the drive is not moving the door. That can be a stripped gear or a disconnected trolley inside the opener, or a door so heavy through spring failure that the opener cannot move it.
Is it worth repairing an old door, or should I replace it?
It depends on the condition of the panels and the hardware rather than the age alone. Springs, cables, rollers and openers are all replaceable. Rusted, cracked or impact-damaged panels are usually where replacement starts to make more sense.

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