Reasons Why Your Garage Door Won’t Open

Reasons Why Your Garage Door Won’t Open

by | Apr 27, 2023 | Uncategorized

You go to leave your house, you click your garage door opener and your garage door doesn’t open. You’re already running late to work and the last thing you need is to be stuck in your garage.

For homeowners, It’s common to experience this type of scenario. But it’s also a really good thing to know the reasons why the garage door won’t open. Knowing why something in your home isn’t working properly allows you to tell the repair company exactly what’s going on. It also prevents any unneeded work from a repair company just looking to squeeze more money out of your wallet.

1. Check for Power to Your Garage Door Opener

Always check the power source. This is just for garage doors. If you have an appliance in your home that isn’t working, always check to see if there’s a faulty connection with the power to the unit. Most companies will charge a service fee to come out and check your garage door opener unit so checking this is simple to do and will save you some money.  If all electrical connections look good, move on to number 2.

2. Check for Obstacles

This is one of the most common issues when a garage door won’t open, close or opens/closes a couple inches and then stops.  The photo-eyes are a safety feature for your garage door system and will stop your door from operating if something crosses through the invisible infrared sensors.

First check to see if there’s anything blocking the door. Move anything away from the bottom section of the door. Many people like to put shovels, brooms or other household objects in the corner of their garage near the photo-eye sensors. This increases the chance of knocking your photo-eyes out of alignment.

3. Check the Lights on Your Photo Eyes

If the photo-eyes are aligned properly. The the light on the photo eyes should be solid red/or green depending on the brand you have. If misaligned, go ahead and move them back in place until the light turns solid.

4. Check for Dirt/Dust in the Sensors

If the lights are solid red/green, then the issue could be dirt or dust in the photo eye. Take a rag or paper towel and clean the sensors.

5. Check the Emergency Disconnect Cord (Red Hanging Cord)

If the garage door opener sounds like it’s working, but the door isn’t moving than someone might have pulled the emergency release cord.  Press the garage door remote, and look for the carriage moving up and down the center rail.  If your garage door is disconnected from the opener, read these instructions to re-engage the opener.

5. Check the Lock

Ever try opening a locked door? Just like any door, you have to unlock it to open it. Locking your garage door is a great security feature, but make sure you unlock it before trying to operate your door. Usually when this happens, you will hear the garage door open a little bit and it will sound like it’s stuck.

6. Broken Springs

Once you’ve checked all of the above, it’s time to look a little closer at your door system. Broken springs can be very obvious or hard to spot. When extension springs break, you’ll typically see them hanging loose. If a torsion spring breaks (above your door) then you can also spot the break. We’ve discussed this in more detail in Common Garage Door Repairs and Costs.

7. Remote Control Issues

Always check multiple controls when diagnosing why a garage door won’t open. If the remote in your car isn’t working, try opening your door with the keypad or wall remote. If all of these don’t work, the problem may be with the opener unit.  Garage door remotes have a small battery that may just need to be changed. If you have an older remote, you may need to just purchase a new one.

The remote could also somehow been disconnected. If this is the case, you’ll have to re-program the remote to your garage door opener.

What Garage Door Parts Are Covered Under Home Warranties?

What Garage Door Parts Are Covered Under Home Warranties?

by | Apr 27, 2023 | Uncategorized

Your garage door or garage door opener just broke and you're wondering if it's covered by your home warranty?

Here's the scoop…

Most home warranty companies only cover the garage door opener or motor and they typically don't cover the garage door or garage door parts. Most of our repair and service calls are for malfunctioning or broken garage door openers with broken springs being close to that.

American Home Shield has a "Home Garage Door Opener Warranty Coverage" available for homeowners that is a very popular choice. Their coverage may include "kitchen appliances, clothes washer and dryer, and the major components of central air conditioning systems, central heating systems, plumbing system, and electrical system." Under American Home Shield's Appliance Coverage is where you'll find the coverage for garage door openers. They state on their website that they "cover all parts and components of garage door openers, except garage doors and garage door track assemblies."

Read more about American Home Shield's Garage Door Opener Warranty Coverage

Fidelity National Home Warranty is another very popular home warranty company that covers a lot of different home repairs and services. If you have standard coverage from Fidelity your garage door opener or motor will be covered under your home warranty but garage door parts like springs, hinges, and most other parts may not be covered.

Plumbing System, plumbing stoppages, toilets, sump pump (permanently installed), bathroom whirlpool motor pump, recirculating hot water pump, water heater, heating and ductwork, electrical system, telephone system, central vacuum system, garage door opener, ceiling fans, attic and exhaust fans, smoke detectors, doorbells, dishwasher, range, oven, cook tops, built-in microwave, instant hot water dispenser and trash compactor.

On Fidelity National Home Warranty for the Texas Home Warranty Plan it states that the coverage obtained in Buyers Standard Coverage for Garage Door Openers is the wiring., motor, switches, receiver unit, and track drive assembly with items that are not covered are garage doors, hinges, springs, cables, rollers, guides, remote transmitters, and keypads. (2)

 

Are Garage Door Springs Covered Under a Home Warranty?

Springs are generally not covered under a home warranty since they are considered a part of the garage door and not the garage door opener. Although the spring is essential to the proper operation of an opener's motor, you may not have coverage under your home warranty.

 

  1. https://www.ahs.com/home-warranty/appliances/garage-door-opener/
  2. http://www.thorinrealestategroup.com/uploads/7/6/9/7/76978449/fidelity_national.pdf
What Happens When You Don’t Hire an Experienced and Trusted Garage Door Pro?: “The Imposter”

What Happens When You Don’t Hire an Experienced and Trusted Garage Door Pro?: “The Imposter”

by | Apr 26, 2023 | Uncategorized

A Garage Door Company That's Been in Lubbock Since 1951

Overhead Door Company has been providing the city of Lubbock with quality garage doors and garage door repair since 1951.

Always look for the Overhead Door Red Ribbon Logo

The Red Ribbon logo is what defines all Overhead Door distributors across the US. Overhead Door Corporation's founder, CG Johnson actually invented the first upward-acting garage door in 1921 and the first electric garage door opener in 1926. The brand has been an iconic symbol for trust, loyalty, and good quality products for over 95 years.  Not every garage door company can wear the Red Ribbon logo, so it's important to always look for it when you're wanting the genuine, the original, Overhead Door Company of Lubbock.

Video Transcript:

"This is Barb. Barb is having some trouble with her garage door.

So what does Barb do?nShe does a quick search and calls for help. 

She knows that Overhead Door Company of Lubbock has been around for over 60 years. 

They’re the company we all know and trust. 

Owned and operated by the Hatch family. Yep, those guys. 

But unbeknownst to her, Barb made a mistake. She forgot to look for the Red Ribbon. 

You know, the iconic symbol that defines Overhead Door Company of Lubbock? That classy insignia that represents honesty and trust. 

She ended up calling an imposter. 

Silly man, that's the sprinkler system not the garage door.

Don't settle for an imposter, look for the Red Ribbon and choose the genuine, the original. Overhead Door Company of Lubbock."

Behind the Red Ribbon with Overhead Door Company of Lubbock

Behind the Red Ribbon with Overhead Door Company of Lubbock

by | Mar 7, 2019 | Uncategorized

The reason we are a 65-year-old company is that we take care of our customers, we provide a good product, and we are competitive. All three of those things make our company what it is today.
It's these things, our name, and our red ribbon logo that sets us apart as the genuine, the original, Overhead Door Company of Lubbock.
Watch the video below and see what's made our company a success over the years.
Benefits of Insulated Garage Doors

Benefits of Insulated Garage Doors

by | Oct 29, 2018 | Uncategorized

Should I Buy An Insulated Garage Door?

Insulated garage doors are a great option when you're wanting to keep the cool air out and the hot air in during the winter months, and the hot air out and the cool air in during the summer months.

Insulated garage doors are measured by R-value.  R-value is defined as, "the capacity of an insulating material to resist heat flow. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power."  At Overhead Door Company of Lubbock, we have some of the highest-rated insulated garage doors in the area that are built with the care and quality that has made Overhead Door a trusted brand for almost 100 years. You may have some questions when looking for a new garage door and the if your asking whether you should get an insulated or non-insulated, you've come to the right place.

 

Do I need an insulated garage door in Lubbock?

Lubbock is known for it's wacky weather patterns and drastic temperature changes. If you live in a region of the country that has drastic temperature changes, an insulated garage door would be a great option for you.  If you live anywhere in West Texas, you know it's not uncommon for it to be 80 degrees one day and then drop down to freezing temperatures.

 

Are insulated garage doors only for cold temperatures?

Many people think that insulated garage doors are only for areas that experience extreme cold weather, but that's just not the case.  Think of it like insulation in your walls or attic.  In West Texas, we experience both extreme heat and extreme cold weather. In the winter, insulating our house helps to keep the warm air in and the cold air out. It's the transfer of heat that insulation helps to reduce. By getting an insulated garage door, it helps to normalize the temperature or slow down drastic temperature increases and decreases in your garage space. What's the point of parking in your garage in the winter if it's going to be just as cold getting inside your car as if it were parked outside?

 

Benefits of Insulated Garage Doors

Insulated garage doors have benefits besides just the insulation factor. Did you know that insulated garage doors are also quieter?

 

Insulated garage doors are quieter

In most cases, an insulated garage door is quieter than any type of garage door you'll get. A garage door is a large moving (usually metal) object that has many moving parts including hinges, screws and brackets. This means that noise is always a part of operating a garage door, but there are ways to limit the noise. One of those ways is installing an insulated garage door. Insulated doors are made with with a sandwich design 0f steel-insulation-steel. The foam insulation is shot into the sandwiched steel, which also binds together both sides of the steel. This makes the door stronger and keeps a lot of the steel in place when the door is operating, which in turn, keeps it from creating a lot of noise.

 

Insulated Garage Doors are Typically Stronger

More layers equals more strength when it comes to garage doors. If you hit a door without insulation, it typically will bend and dent more than a garage door with insulation. So not only does an insulated door help with the transfer of heat, but it also can help prevent digs and dents from the kids playing basketball or wall-ball on the driveway.

 

There's many reasons to purchase an insulated garage door but it's important you weight your options so you can be confident you're making the right decision. If you want to see a sample of what the construction of an insulated door looks like, you can stop by our showroom. If you have any questions, please, always feel free to give us a call to talk to one of our residential garage door experts.

 

Project Spotlight: The Four Sixes Ranch

Project Spotlight: The Four Sixes Ranch

by | Aug 9, 2018 | Uncategorized

The Four 6666 Ranch is a huge historic ranch located across three counties in Texas. They breed black angus cattle and performance racing horses. They recently had a new building constructed to allow visitors to easily view horses and cattle for purchase in which Overhead Door Company of Lubbock was proud to be a part of.

four 6666 ranch building

This new building features our glass aluminum doors around the perimeter of the building which provides extra sunlight into the building while also giving the ranch the ability to open the doors on nice weather days. These beautiful glass doors not only allow light into the indoor riding area even when closed but also can be opened to allow air flow to give the indoor area an outdoor feel. This new building is most likely a multi-purpose area that will help both the buyer and The Four 6’s Ranch. If you know Texas, it gets very hot in the summer, so this new building allows for comfort in both hot summer months and even the cooler fall and winters.

four 6666 ranch building

The Four 6’s Ranch has a replacement cattle program in which a selection of heifers are available every year for sale to the public. This new facility gives prospective buyers the option to see the cattle to get an idea of what they’ll be purchasing. It’s very important for buyers to get a good look at the cattle to make sure they’re in good condition. Things that a buyer would look at are the animal’s temperament, physical health and body condition. In a typical cattle sale or auction, the heifers are brought out in a sale barn and walked around the ring past the buyers, so each one can be seen. There’s typically an auctioneer and people will place bids on the cattle being auctioned. This facility will allow the Four 6666’s Ranch to do all of these things more effectively.

four 6666 ranch inside building
4-sixes-ranch-texas-outside