How to stop your garage door from randomly opening

Garage doors are an invaluable asset to any home. From providing security to enhancing the curb appeal, the list of advantages is endless. However, the real concern happens when you find out that your garage door has started opening randomly. It's scary, annoying, and super risky because an open garage door means anyone can directly access your home, including thieves. It hinders your privacy and can cause you to lose sleep. 

A few possible reasons your garage door might malfunction include a fault in the remote opener, defects in electrical circuits, or misaligned frequency programming. While some of these issues are more extensive than others, a vetted garage door technician can troubleshoot all of them. 

With many possible reasons why your garage door is opening on its own, you might feel thrown for a loop at first. Fret not! We have compiled common reasons why your garage door keeps opening randomly and what you can do to stop it.

Why is my garage door opening and closing randomly?

Garage doors are no different from essential and costly home appliances — all prone to sudden breakdowns. Below is a list of possible reasons why your garage door is opening randomly:

• Short circuit in the wires
• Dirt and debris buildup
• Damage to electrical circuits
• Stuck buttons in the remote control 
• Conflict in the wireless signals
• Thunderstorms leading to power surges
• Garage door stuck due to a power outage

Read on to learn more as we discuss some of these common problems in depth — and to understand how you can diagnose the problem.

How to stop your garage door from opening randomly

You can stop your garage door from opening randomly by checking for underlying causes, such as inspecting the wall-mounted buttons, checking for devices with similar frequencies, inspecting the sensors for debris, or locating any damaged wires. Learn more as we go into detail in the sections below.

Inspect the wall-mounted button and remote controls

A fault in the remote control of a garage door is a common reason why it might open randomly. 

When the remote control sends a wrong signal to the garage door, the garage door is bound to act accordingly. Too much wear and tear or mishandling by kids or adults can damage the remote control’s inner circuit. Often, your remote control is located where its buttons might become obstructed or struck by an external factor, such as drawers or car compartments.

Improper handling of the remote control can jumble the wires, which in turn become loose, sending the wrong signal to the garage and causing it to act in a frenzy. 

Here’s what you can do:

• Examine the remote control’s buttons thoroughly, and try to locate if any buttons are stuck or feel wobbly. If yes, push the button back to its original position. 
• Replace the old batteries with a new set of batteries and check if the problem persists. 

• Unscrew the remote and blow out any dirt stuck in the circuit board, or clean it with a dry cloth. If you locate a wire that seems broken, refer to the garage door’s manual and check if there is a way to fix it. If not, call your garage door manufacturer and ask it if the remote can be replaced or fixed. 

If you don’t have a remote control, you probably have wall-mounted buttons or a keypad. Be sure to check them too. If nothing seems off on the outside, then the problem might be somewhere inside.

Check for other devices nearby with similar frequencies

If all looks good with the remote control and the wall-mounted buttons, an intermix of radio frequencies could be causing the problem. 

Garage doors function on radio frequencies. So, it is important that the equipment that operates them — and the door itself — are both on the same frequency. 

Garage doors can be operated by passcodes, wall buttons, or remote controls.

But there is a caveat: Other devices — like CB radios, police radios or your neighbor’s garage door — might be on the same frequency as your garage door. Sometimes different garage doors can accidentally get programmed on the same channel. 

So, whenever your neighbors open their garage door, yours might act similarly, and vice versa. 

While this may sound like a weird situation, there is an easy fix. All you need to do is reprogram your garage doors, and your door should start working as normal. The same solution applies to all scenarios, whether it's radio interference from a nearby radio station or a neighborhood garage door.

Reprogramming differs from brand to brand, so refer to your garage opener’s manual to find a quick fix.

Inspect the door and sensors for debris

It’s true that garage doors are a great addition to a home, thanks to their safety features. If you look around the door, you will find safety sensors near the ground. They work using an infrared beam of light. Sensors are installed because they make sure no item is stuck under the door when it is being closed. If any item or debris hinders or obstructs the garage door operation, the door will not close. 

To rule this out, you need to double-check if there is anything underneath that could be hampering its way. If yes, remove that item and check if the problem persists. 

Look for damaged wiring or components

A garage door functions well because of a set of gauge wires that connect safety sensors to the door and motor unit. So, if there is a short circuit in any of those wires, your garage door will automatically open again when you try to close it. 

A short circuit can happen due to normal wear and tear, nails obstructing the wires, or a pesky mouse eating up the wires. 

Another reason could be a malfunction in the circuit board or the logic board. A hint that the issue might be with the circuit board is when the garage door’s light starts flashing without any reason. Because these repairs are electrical, it is advisable to seek the help of a professional. 

When to call a professional for garage door repairs

If you cannot locate the problem, or the problem is due to an underlying reason that you can’t safely fix on your own, then you need a garage door technician. However, don’t think twice about calling a technician if you think it's a fault in electrical components or a defect in high-pressure components, like the door springs.

Tackling electrical components on your own can be dangerous because garage doors are built of multiple components that can harm you or damage the door if mishandled. In addition, fixing garage doors requires special tools that are not readily available at home. 

Garage door opener repairs are covered under a Cinch warranty

As a homeowner, you know that garage doors are an expensive investment, so you expect them to stay in good shape for years. 

If you have recently installed a new garage door, you should consider having a proper plan for garage door maintenance. Any fault or malfunction in the door means you will end up spending an exorbitant amount on repairing the door or the garage door opener. 

However, with Cinch, you are in safe hands. Cinch’s Built-in Systems plan for garage door openers covers all parts and components inside the ceiling-mounted electric motor (excluding door or door track assemblies, cables, springs and Wi-Fi transmitters). 

Anytime your garage door opener needs repair, just reach out to Cinch Home Services and have a thoroughly vetted electrician sent over to your home to fix your garage door problems. Moreover, you only need to pay a small one-time service fee (in addition to your monthly or annual plan cost). There is no need to splurge on expensive repair or replacement costs or scratch your head trying to find the right technician. 

Learn more about Cinch or get a quote today!

Find out why your garage door is opening randomly and fix it with these simple steps.