What You Should Do If You Receive Garage Door Opener Error Codes

Whether you have an older opener that came with your house, or you installed a new system, you’ll still find yourself dealing with error codes. Some of the newer smart openers come with an app that makes it easy for you to get a diagnosis. If you have an older opener, you may see flashing lights or get alerts that there is a problem. You can easily find out what to do when your opener gives you an error code that relates to your garage door.

One Flash

One of the more common errors that require garage door repairs is a light that flashes once. Depending on the type of opener you have, it may flash once constantly or pause between flashes. The lights will keep flashing and the door will stay open until you fix the error. A single flashing light often indicates an issue with the sensors that keep the door from crashing down. You may find that one of the wires is missing or cut. Other problems that can cause this error include missing or broken sensors.

Two Flashes

Another sign of an issue with your sensors is when the opener flashes twice. You should notice that the up button flashes once and that the down button then flashes twice. This usually relates to improper installation of your sensor wires. It may show that one of the wires shorted out or that the person who installed it reversed the wire. Always check the light on each sensor. If one or more of these lights are off, you know that you need to fix or replace the wiring. Garage doors Torrance repair companies can easily fix this problem.

Three Flashes

When you hold the garage door opener in your hand and press the buttons, look for three flashes. You should see the up button flash a single time before the down button flashes three times. Most brands use this error code to show you that the door does not work properly. It can also mean that some of the door controls or wires are faulty. To fix the problem, you need a 22-gauge wire. Replace all the wires leading to the door control and any wiring that runs to the sensors. Unless you have experience with electrical wiring, you should let a pro handle this repair.

Four Flashes

The safety sensors on your garage door keep your family and pets safe. When anything is below the door, the sensors will notice it and keep the door from closing. You do not want to use a door if the sensors aren’t working. Four flashing lights are a big sign of a faulty sensor. You will see the up light flash and then the down light flash four times in a row. The lights can tell you that there is a misaligned sensor in your system or that there is an object blocking it. You can check the sensors for any obstructions or hire a garage doors Torrance expert to check the door.

Five Flashes

Another error you might notice is a series of five flashing lights. Once the up button flashes, count the number of times the down button flashes. Five flashing lights let you know that you have a bad logic board. The logic board is an important part of your system. It can fail when water gets inside or because of manufacturing defects. The only way to fix the problem is with a new logic board, which is one of the common garage door repairs that companies around Torrance face. In some Torrance garage doors, five flashing lights are a sign that the motor overheated.

Six Flashes

You may also find that your opener flashes once and then six times. Six flashing lights are a common sign of a circuit board failure. In the same way that your computer uses a circuit board to send commands to different areas, your door opener uses the board to tell the door when to come up or go down. This can also indicate a complete failure of your system. As it’s hard to diagnose this problem on your own, you can hire a Torrance pro to check out the door.

Rapid Flashing

Have you ever tried to use your garage door opener and noticed that the lights rapidly flashed? This usually means that the opener lost its connection to the door. Older openers often have a reset button on the device that hangs from the garage ceiling. You may need a ladder to get high enough to find and press the button. While some ask you to hold the button for a few seconds, others require just one press. Newer models have a home button that you can press to reset the system. To reset a smart opener, press the learn button and follow the prompts.

Rapid flashing can also mean that someone nearby has a remote that works with your opener. This is a common problem in Torrance as many houses are close together and use the same opener systems. You can use the same steps to reset the system and clear the remote. This should stop the lights from flashing.

Other Opener Errors

Not all errors produce a code that you can figure out on your own. You may have a door opener switch that stops working, which occurs when the switch no longer connects to the opener, or it doesn’t have a power source. Another issue is that your opener may stop working when you try to open the garage door. This can happen because you are too far away from the door or the battery in the opener died. Torrance homeowners occasionally notice that their doors come down and then stop before they reach the ground. When this happens, always make sure that the door is clear and that nothing is in the way. Even small items like a golf club or a garden hose can block the sensor and stop the opener from coming down.

Troubleshoot Your Garage Door Opener

Once you live with a garage door opener, you’ll never want to live without one again. All it takes is one button to lift the door when you leave in the morning or come home after a long day. One more press brings the door down and helps you avoid heavy lifting. Modern openers use error codes to help you troubleshoot the system and see what went wrong. The openers use different flashing lights that go along with common problems. Check out all these error codes and what they mean before you turn to a company that is knowledgeable about garage door repair in Torrance for help.