The Simple Yet Overlooked Reason Your Garage Door Switch May Not Be Working

Garages are one of those parts of the house that you may not give much thought to until you are in it. After all, it stores your cars, your tools, and your trash bins — what is there to really think about if you're not accessing those items? The same thing goes for the garage door; it goes up and down, and you probably don't ever think about it. But if you press the switch and your garage door doesn't open or close, you will undoubtedly spend the next 20 minutes frantically trying to figure out what the heck is wrong and how to fix it. The solution, however, might just be staring you in the face: the opener could be merely unplugged.

Often times, the cause of a problem is the simplest possible option. The unplugged option definitely fits the bill here, which would make sense if you are repeatedly pressing the wall switch or your remote garage door opener and neither is working. Simply put, the power source was likely disrupted. Fortunately, this is an easy problem to fix; simply check the outlet, which is usually on the garage ceiling near the opener unit, to make sure the cord is plugged in securely. You can also check the breaker box to verify that the breaker didn't get tripped. In some cases, your garage could have a GFCI outlet that gets tripped and interrupts power to the opener. If that fixes the problem, it likely means you don't have any larger issues with your garage door, like the garage door tracks not being level.

Having your garage door motor get unplugged is not an uncommon issue. There are multiple potential causes, each as likely as the next. If your motor is older, it's possible that the plug simply loosened over time and fell out. Houses shift with age and pass through cycles of freezing winters and blisteringly hot summers; things are prone to changing positions.

Another possible cause is that the plug got bumped or snagged out of the outlet. If you were putting stuff on top of your SUV (while preparing for a weekend camping trip, for example) or messing around with any ceiling-based storage, this cord would be an easy thing to bump. It's okay — it happens. Lastly, the cord could have been intentionally unplugged. If someone was doing maintenance on the garage door, like replacing the rollers, the cord would need to be unplugged for such a task to prevent possible injury. 

If the cord was accidentally unplugged, however, it might be a good idea to ensure the area around your garage door motor is as clear and clean as possible. It might even be time for some garage makeover ideas to inspire you to get organized. But for now, move ceiling mounts and storage farther away from your motor, and consider packing your car in your driveway instead of in your garage. Additionally, ensure that the cable connecting your wall switch to the motor is clean and in good condition and that your remote clicker has batteries, just in case.