Garage doors should easily open and close with the push of a button. But homeowners may find that their door opens on its own. Don't worry—your house isn't haunted. There are a few common reasons why this could happen.

3 Reasons Why Garage Doors Open on Their Own

1. Safety Sensor Issues

The safety sensors are designed to prevent your garage door from closing when they detect an object beneath the door. The door will also reverse up if it encounters any resistance (other than the ground) while closing. Even a small obstacle, such as a shoe, could cause your garage door to re-open. 

Keeping the area beneath the door and the door tracks clean should help prevent this issue. In addition, the sensors can sometimes become misaligned or the wiring connections could go bad. In these cases, repairs or replacement of the sensors may be needed.

2. Dirty Garage Door Opener

The average garage isn’t nearly as clean as the inside of your house. As a result, the button on the garage door opener can get dirty. Even relatively small amounts of dirt could cause the button to get stuck, causing the garage door to repeatedly open and shut. Cleaning out the buttons and the housing connections should help fix the problem.

3. Control Board Problems

If the wiring around the opener button is missing insulation or otherwise damaged, short circuits could trigger the garage door to open and close on its own. The opener’s control board could also be damaged by a power surge. The resulting fluctuations in voltage could affect the door’s opening and closing.

Whether you need help troubleshooting your garage door or a new door installation, you can count on Browning Garage Doors. Serving southeast New Mexico for over 25 years, their skilled team provides fast, reliable work for all major brands. To learn more about their services, visit them online or call (575) 887-7975.