Why a garage door won't open or close

The causes below are ones manufacturers describe as possible causes, not a diagnosis of your door.

The remote

A remote can stop responding while the wall button still operates the door. Chamberlain names a weak or dead battery, a lost pairing that is re-established at the opener's LEARN button, Lock mode (also called Vacation mode) making the opener ignore remote commands, and radio-frequency interference reducing the remote's range as possible causes.

The door coming off its track

Clopay says a door that has come off its track should not be operated, and that a trained technician should be contacted.

A broken spring or cable is a safety matter, not a do-it-yourself fix.

Amarr says a broken spring is a safety hazard and tells homeowners not to operate the door but to call a qualified garage door technician, and warns that high spring tension can cause serious injury. Amarr gives the same do-not-operate warning for a cable that has come off the drum.

For a garage door that will not open or close, Experts Garage Door provides garage door repair.

For a fuller list of what stops a door closing, see garage door not closing: the ten causes.