A garage door that refuses to open is one of the most frustrating problems a homeowner can face, particularly if your car is locked inside. Before calling an engineer, there are a few things worth checking yourself.

Check the power supply. For electric garage doors, the most common and easily overlooked cause is simply a loss of power. Check that the motor unit is plugged in and that there’s no tripped circuit breaker or blown fuse on the circuit.

Check the remote control batteries. Dead batteries in the remote are a surprisingly common cause of apparent door failures. Try replacing them or using the wall-mounted button inside the garage instead.

Check for an obstruction. Most electric garage doors have sensors that prevent them from closing or opening if an obstruction is detected in the path. Check that nothing is blocking the sensor eyes, which are usually mounted low on each side of the door frame.

Disengage the motor and try manually. Most electric garage door motors have an emergency release cord (often red). Pulling this disengages the motor so you can operate the door by hand. If it moves freely by hand but not under power, the problem is likely with the motor or its settings. If it’s stiff or won’t move manually either, the springs or cables may be broken.

Look for broken springs or cables. A snapped spring is one of the most common reasons a garage door stops working suddenly. You can usually see this by looking at the torsion bar above the door or the extension springs on either side — a visible gap in the spring coil confirms the problem.

Broken springs should always be repaired by a professional — the tension involved makes them genuinely dangerous to replace without the right training and tools. If you’re in Leicester, Nottingham, Coventry or Derby and need a repair, give us a call on 0116 332 3613.