Emergency Garage Door Repair: When to Call a Technician Right Away

Your garage door is a heavy, complex assembly that is keeping your home and vehicles safe. If your garage door breaks and stops functioning, it is more than an inconvenience, and now it can be a potential safety risk and security risk. In Orange County's busy lifestyle, a garage door break can be an injury waiting to happen by trapping you inside, or leaving your home open to anything.

This guide will explain most dangerous garage door problems, how you can identify them, and why you should call someone instead of trying to fix it yourself. We are also providing for your convenience a quick reference table comparing emergency problems vs. non-emergency problems that an owner may have. Your local industry leader OC Garage Door Guys offers fast, reliable 24/7 service for all your emergency repairs, big and small, throughout the great service area of Orange County.

Common Emergency Garage Door Issues

There are several garage door failures that qualify as emergencies and require you to take immediate action to prevent an accident or theft of personal items.

These include:

• Broken or Snapped Springs: Garage door springs are responsible for balancing the weight of a door. When a spring breaks, and they usually break with a loud "bang" similar to a gunshot, it is dangerous because all of a sudden you have a door with no spring on one side that can not be used. It can also be dangerous, when seeing a visible gap in a torsion spring, or having heard a sudden loud noise, you may be tempted hook your vao and call the garage door opener, it will also not be able to lift the unwanted heavy door. When the spring on a garage door breaks, it is extremely dangerous. The spring is under a large amount of tension and when it suddenly breaks, the parts of a garage door can be flying around your garage unpredictably, jeopardizing your safety, and if you try to manually lift a heavy garage door that does not have a working spring, it can come crashing down. Do not operate garage doors wit a broken spring, call a technician immediately!One source stated that a broken spring is “not simply an inconvenience… it’s a serious safety hazard that needs to be addressed immediately, and professionally.” (Attempting to or release a spring you have no training for can cause terrible injury, or worse.)

• Frayed or Broken Cables: Garage doors cables have a tremendous amount of tension on them and support the entire weight of the door. If a cable is frayed or broken, you’ll lose support on that side of the door. You may see the door tilt or perhaps go through a binding cycle, and you will likely see a cable that is dangled or the frayed end of a broken cable that is jagged or whipping around, which can whip dangerously. Even worse, if a person attempts to use the door with a broken cable, they can see the door oddly skew off its tracks or the door can just simply drop. This event can be dangerous because the door can crash down. If you ever suspect a cable problem (door lifts crookedly, gets stuck, etc.), immediately discontinue using the door and call a professional.

• Door Off Its Tracks (Bent or Misaligned): Metal tracks guide the door up and down, and if those tracks get bent or out of alignment - typically from an impact or from long-term use and wear - the door can jump or bind on the track. You’ll notice the door riding unevenly or getting jammed, and forcibly pulling it off-track can cause it to fall/jump off completely. An off-track garage door is "unstable and could drop abruptly, causing a significant safety hazard." Do not try to ride or push the door into its tracks, just call a technician right away!Using a track that is out of alignment will only make matters worse for the rollers and opener.

• Opener or Motor Failure: The garage door opener, or motor unit, can fail electrically or mechanically. For example, the door does nothing when the remote or wall switch is pressed; the motor hums but the door does not move; or the door has erratic movements or unusual grinding noises. If an opener fails and leaves the door stuck either open or closed, this can be serious. A door that will not close leaves your house unsecure, and if you cannot open the door, you cannot use the car. As one resource states, an unresponsive opener “can be a major headache, especially if your garage door won’t close all the way… a broken opener can pose a security risk.” If replacing batteries or resetting does not resolve the issue, cut off the power source, leave the door alone, and call a garage door technician. The current openers also carry sensors as well as electricity; therefore, it is dangerous to work on them yourself without training.

• Garage Door Opens or Closes by itself: Random or phantom movement of doors (opening or closing by themselves) can happen due to electrical issues, or remote interference. A stuck button on the remote, radio- frequency interference, or faulty wiring could all send a signal to the motor unit. This is a dangerous situation and should be treated as an emergency. An uncontrolled garage door can injure pets, crush items, or leave garbage unsecured in the garage. It “presents a safety and security hazard to your home,” a reputable door company states.First, you need to disconnect the opener (using the emergency release cord), and remove the dangling buttons or remotes. Inspect for any obvious issues (stuck switches, pressing problems, wireless interference, exposed wiring etc.). If the door still has a mind of its own, you should avoid using the opener and call a technician immediately. Electrical diagnostics are not DIY tasks.

• Sensor and Remote Problems prohibiting Door Closing: Most Garage Doors have “photo-eye” safety sensors at the bottom of the Door that prohibit closing if some thing is blocking the beam from one of the photo sensors. If these sensors are misaligned, dirty, or damaged, the Garage Door will not close, or it will unexpectedly reverse direction. Similarly, a misfunctioning remote/control (other than needing new batteries) can allow the Door open indefinitely. A misaligned sensor isn't an immediate life threat, but the potential consequence – a Door that will not stay closed – is a serious threat to security. You should stop whatever else you are doing and inspect the sensors and lenses for debris, and make certain they are correctly aligned. If you can't get the sensors aligned and lenses cleaned, emergency call a technician. A properly aligned sensor beam and a functioning opener should replicate to keep your Garage – and home – secure; otherwise, your Garage – and home – is too vulnerable for theft.

• Jammed or Stuck Door (Mechanical Obstructions, or Weather Effects): A Door jammed closed or stuck partially open (due to obstruction in the track, or if you have worn down rollers, or extremely hot weather causing the metal to expand) is dangerous. For example, by forcing open a frozen or jammed Door you could very easily bend a part or the Door could suddenly release, causing injury. If your Door is suddenly jammed and won't move at all, you need to stop trying to operate it.In the presence of cold, ice can freeze components; in heat, thermal metal expansion or lubrication failure may be a cause. One expert admonishes that “forcing a misaligned door or a weather-struck door can lead to more damage" recommending to call emergency service to operate the door safely. While Oc's climate may render this type of extreme rare, do not dismiss any unsightly blockage or binding - all things considered, the risks of a calamity outweigh those of having a professional release the door.

Each of the above mentioned issues (broken springs, cables, tracks, motors, sensors, jams) all warrant immediate consideration. Even if the door will still move somewhat, the underlying fault can still precipitate a sudden or eventual failure. Simply because one spring is broken does not mean the other spring is not about to fail as well. With all of these situations: STOP USING THE DOOR and call a qualified technician right away.

How to Identify Issues that are Emergencies

Identifying an emergency situation is itself an important skill. Here are some clear warning signs:

• Bang! or Pop Sound: A large snap or bang that is experienced when opening or closing the garage door will usually indicate a broken spring has occurred. Ignore the “gunshot-like noise” at your own risk. Pay close attention to your own health and wellbeing - this is a direct infarct request for you to STOP and get help.

• The Door Will Not Open or Close Fully: If the door will start to move a few inches but no more, or will otherwise not even move at all, this is most likely not just a hiccup of the opener, but rather you have a broken spring or maybe a snapped cable. If the door is stuck open, your home is unsecured, and will remain so until you resolve the issue. If the door is stuck closed, and you can observe broken parts of some kind, then you have a fall hazard and your immediate next actions should be made with due consideration.

• Gaps or misalignment are visible: Take a look at the springs above the door. A new torsion spring is one continuous coil. A gap in the spring coil indicates it is broken. Look at your cables and tracks too: loose cables, bent tracks, or a door panel sagging on one side are all alarm bells.

• Uneven or jerky movement: When one end of an extension spring breaks, or a cable fails, the garage door may rise at an angle, or jerks unexpectedly while opening or closing. If you notice any uneven lifting, stop what you're doing immediately!

• Activation at random: If the door moves, without you pushing a button or taking any action, or dead angles/ reverses at a random time, treat it like there may be an electrical energy hazard, and disconnect power (using the manual release), and get professional help.

• Loud grinding noise, and/or burning smell: If your opener is making loud grinding noises that sound like metal grinding, or if you see/ smell smoke likely coming from your opener, it indicates mechanical failure. Do not ignore this symptom of the issue- turn off the opener and contact a professional.

• Sensors’ lights on but door won’t close: If the safety eyes's indicator light(s) are blinking, or door reverses, something is wrong with the safety sensors or wiring. This leaves your garage door open; secure the door and call a professional.

Again, anytime your garage door is acting unpredictable, presents these warning signs, or has visible damage; it is an emergency!The implications of these signs being disregarded can lead to serious consequences... people have been hurt and there is the potential for damage to properties because of sudden failures of garage doors. According to one industry expert, "Every year, thousands are injured because of malfunctions associated with garage doors related broken springs, bad sensors or doors that will not track properly."

Emergency vs. Non-Emergency Issues

Not all garage door problems need 24/7 service. To help you decide when to call right away versus scheduling a routine repair, use this quick guide:

Issue	Emergency?	Why/What to Do
Broken garage door spring	Yes	Loud bang, gap in spring, door won’t open. Do not use the door; call a technician immediately. (A broken spring stores enormous energy and makes the door unsafe.)
Frayed or broken cable	Yes	One side of door hangs or tilts, cable dangling. The door could whip off track or fall. Stop using the door and call for help immediately.
Door off its tracks (bent track)	Yes	Door jams or rides crookedly. An off-track door is unstable and may collapse. Do not operate it; call a pro.
Door opens/closes on its own	Yes	Can indicate a stuck button, electrical short, or interference. Presents a safety/security risk. Disconnect the opener (manual release) and call a technician to check wiring or components.
Opener/motor failure (no response)	Yes	Door won’t move or behaves erratically. Leaves home unsecured. A burned-out motor or faulty circuitry is the likely cause. Seek immediate repair.
Door reverses or won’t close fully	No (usually)	Often a misaligned/blocked sensor or obstacle triggers safety reversal. Check for obstruction, clean sensor lenses, ensure sensors face each other. Try resetting the opener. If the door still won’t close and remains open, that becomes a security issue and then call a pro.
Remote control not working	No	Replace batteries or reprogram the remote. If multiple remotes fail, call in normal business hours.
Sticky, noisy, or slow door operation	No	These are maintenance issues (lack of lubricant, worn rollers, minor misalignment). Schedule non-urgent repair or tune-up.
Minor panel damage/dents (not affecting function)	No	Cosmetic panel damage isn’t an immediate danger. Repair when convenient.

Each of these issues - broken springs, cables, tracks, motors, sensors, or jams - must be treated seriously and remedied. While the door may work in a limited sense, the principal defect can lead to an immediate failure. An example is if one spring breaks, it is safe to assume the second spring is also at or near the end of its life. In all of these situations, stop using the door and call a qualified technician immediately.

The Risks of Repairing Garage Doors

It's tempting to attempt a quick DIY by trying to fix things yourself, however, repairing garage doors is far more dangerous than it appears. Garage doors may weigh several hundreds of pounds, and have heavy-duty springs and cables. You may not think that undertaking repairs presents any risks, but without the appropriate training and tools, you are in fact risking serious injury - or worse.

Typically, trying to fix or repair a garage door system can result in either serious injury or damage.

Here are some of the primary risks associated with doing any repair work on the garage door system:

• Crush Hazard: Garage doors can weigh between 200 and 500 pounds. If the door falls, slips or subsequently descends because something happens during the repair order, it can crush whatever is below it. Even letting the door fall because you stripped the last screw and lost your grip on the door - it can fall even if it is partially raised. One warning from an expert indicates, "if the door were to fall while I was repairing it, it could fall on me and break me in half... or crack my garage floor". Just one drop could result in broken bones and possibly several :-).

• High Tension Springs: Torsion springs stores extremely high amounts of energy. Torsion springs can be extremely hazardous if not handled properly. If the torsion spring snaps, it can whip out of control. As the King Door Company describes, release of a spring "can lead to serious or fatal injury... the path of the spring is unpredictable". It would be difficult for any normal person using normal tools and muscles to contain that energy.

• Incorrect tools or parts - Garage door repair occasionally requires special tools (such as winding bars for springs) and the proper replacement parts. Improvising tools or using the wrong parts can lead to exacerbating the issue, or may fail entirely. Additionally, mistakes as small as using a worn spring, or having a cable over or under torqued can lead to an imminent failure of a repair.

• Hidden dangers - Garage door systems utilize electrical components (in the opener and the sensors) along with mechanical parts. A DIY'er could inadvertently create a new hazard by electrically shorting wires, or misaligning electrical sensors. A minor wiring issue could create a shock, or potentially a fire - only trained technicians have the proper systems and equipment to diagnose these safely.

• Warranties and Liability - Many garage doors, and openers have warranties that will be void if a person who is not licensed performs repair. A DIY attempt at repair may leave you liable for the entire cost of a professional repair - plus injury, or worse.

In conclusion, the risks of injury, or making the situation/offender potentially worse is not worth it. Calling a trained technician is the safest option. Homeowners can take basic measures in checking the garage door - for example, lifting the door manually to feel if the weights are balanced, or just clearing away any obstruction.

OC Garage Door Guys recommends safety and expertise. Our technicians carry the tools and replacement parts in their vans, so most repairs are completed during their first visit. We also have full auto, business and liability insurance, and are fully licensed, therefore you have little to no liability if we cause any issues while fixing your garage door.

Why is it Important to Call for Professional Help

There are many benefits to calling a technician sooner rather than later:

• Safety: Professionals know how to safely release springs, re-tension cables, re-align sensors and assess electrical systems. For example, a professional will know the correct sequence to properly and safely lower or raise your garage door and minimize the risk of the door falling on them.

• Prevent Damage: Every time you operate a faulty door, considerable risk increases the chances of additional problems like a mis-aligned track which will bend worse or a seized bearing that will destroy rollers or a loose and shaky opener that could freeze the motors or speed controllers. Fixing problems sooner will greatly reduce repair costs. As one source once stated, “the longer you wait, the more they (damage & repair costs) are going to be.”

• Your Home’s Security: When your door is broken or stuck, then your home or garage is insecure. Professionals can ensure the door seals properly and secure locking mechanisms both to restore home security and make sure that sensors function and the door reverses and latches as it should.

• 24/7 Service: Emergencies do not happen during business hours. OC Garage Door Guys provides 24/7 emergency service in Orange County. Our on-call teams will respond quickly within several hours based on how soon you call in. The advantage of using a local operator such as ours you gain a quicker response time than any non-local installer or supplier.

• Expertise: As an expert, they are much better at diagnosing smaller problems that might not be obvious to those less familiar with garage doors.For example, the side-to-side wobble you see in your door may not only be an alignment issue, it may also be a stripped gear in the opener. Over the years, training helps techs fix the real issue the first time. And the best techs stand by their work as well; respectable companies offer guarantees on repairs.

During an emergency situation, every moment counts. Even a day without opening the door can change something that is fixable to something that requires a full replacement. When in doubt, we recommend something like this: if you are uncertain whether your issue is an emergency repair, assume that it might be and call for service. OC Garage Door Guys will send a tech out to evaluate the issue (even after hours) and will tell you if you should have them perform a service on your garage door opener.

OC Garage Door Guys: trusted pros in Orange County for all of your garage door repairs

OC Garage Door Guys is a local leader in residential garage door repair in Orange County. We are family owned and operated since 1999 and fully licensed, insured and bonded. This means we have decades of experience and the insurance backing to protect you as well.

Our fast reliable service is the reason we are still in business; we keep common parts on our trucks so when we come out, we can usually finish the job same day. We offer 24-7 emergency service with no higher charge for nights or weekends. And you will talk or text with our owner or senior member of our team; we do not use some remote call center.

Whether your door needs a broken spring changed, a cable repair, an adjustment because it is off track, or completely new opener replacement, our technicians have seen it all. Our techs and repair staff have to train to be sent out on calls with the latest on garage door technology, safety standards and fix issues right. A recent customer said it best, OC Garage Door Guys provides "fast, reliable, and professional service every time."

Because we are based in Huntington Beach and have crews dispersing throughout Orange County, we can sometimes reach you within a few of hours - when compared to some out of area companies. Our service area covers all of Orange County (from Anaheim to San Clemente), so no matter when your emergency occurs or where you live in Orange County, we are right up the street.

One more reminder: a garage door that is compromised is not a type of issue to postpone. When you have notice to an issue that is somewhat of an emergency, we encourage you to contact us right away. Our tech (on call at the time) will be at your home quickly, diagnose the problem, and get your door operating safely and smoothly again.

Conclusion

Emergency garage door repairs (broken springs, cables, off track doors, openers not working etc.) can pose serious dangers to people and/or property. Should you hear an audible snap, notice the door is misaligned, or other signs listed above...please take the proper action to treat your situation as an emergency. Don't ignore warnings or try some sort of unsafe DIY fix. Protect your safety and your home; call a pro garage door technician for help right away.

When Orange County homeowners have garage door emergencies OC Garage Door Guys are always ready to help. Call us; we will provide the fast expert repair you need to restore safety and peace of mind. For all of your garage door emergencies you can trust the local experts with years of experience and a reputation to uphold quality. Call us any time of the day or night and we will be there to fix your garage door right.