If closing your garage door seems to be a challenge, it could be due to several issues. However, if the problem only occurs in cold weather, chances are it’s caused by issues with your lubricant or safety sensors. So, if your garage door will not stay down in cold weather, there are several steps you can take to fix the problem.
Garage Door Will Not Stay Down in Cold Weather - Solutions to Consider
Whether your garage door is hard to open, the alignment is off, or it will not close, taking care of the problem is key. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the reasons your garage door will not stay down in cold weather and highlight a few tips on how to fix the problem. If the issue you persists, you may need to have a professional service your garage door.
Safety Sensor Issues
Cold weather can affect safety sensors in several ways. Whenever there’s an issue with your safety sensors, the opener may interpret that there’s an obstruction and refuse to close the door. If you have an issue with the sensors, chances are you can use the wall-mounted switch or garage door remote to open but not close the door. Sometimes, holding down the switch until the door closes can override the issue; if this happens, that’s another typical sign that the problem is due to a safety sensor issue.
Formation of Condensation on the Sensors
Condensation is the most common and easily fixable issue with door safety sensors in cold weather. If you inspect the sensors and find that they’re clouded up, simply wipe off the sensors and your door should work fine.
Expansion/Contraction of Metal
Metal expands when it’s hot and contracts when it gets cold. As the metal in your garage door system expands and contracts, safety sensors may shift. Misaligned sensors may not be able to tell whether there is an obstruction in their path.
To detect the issue, check to see whether the sensors are pointed directly at each other. Since your eyes cannot detect the infrared light emitted by your garage door sensors, you can use your phone camera to check. Place your phone in front of the receiver and see whether the beam from the emitter part of the sensor is reaching it. If not, realigning the emitter until the beam reaches the receiver should fix the issue.
The Sensor Light Has Dimmed
You can also use your phone camera to check whether the infrared beam has dimmed. If your phone picks up little-to-no light from the emitter, consider replacing the LED in the emitter or replacing the entire emitter altogether.
Try Resetting The Sensors
If you have intermittent issues with your sensors, consider doing a hard reset of the system. Unplug your garage door opener then plug it back in. This will reset the safety sensors and may fix the problem.
Frozen Garage Door Lubricant
Sometimes, the lubricant used on garage doors is unsuitable for cold weather. The lubricant can also just get old over time. Either way, try replacing the lubricant. Silicone-based spray lubricant or garage door lube are both good options that will work well for both hot and cold seasons.If your garage door is making loud noises it can also be the lubricant.
Bottom Line
If your garage door will not stay down in cold weather and you’ve tried the tips mentioned with no luck, contact a garage door specialist. A garage door expert has the skills and experience to determine what’s wrong with your door and fix it for you.