Do not force the door open or closed. Keep people and pets away. Springs, cables, and bottom brackets can be under extreme tension.
If the door is open, crooked, or appears damaged, do not pull the emergency release. An unsupported door could fall.
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Use this checklist to spot garage door safety concerns, understand what you can inspect from a safe distance, and know when to stop using the door and schedule service.
Empire Garage Door serves residential customers in Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, and surrounding Las Vegas Valley communities.
Garage door springs counterbalance the weight of the door. A broken spring can leave the door too heavy to operate safely. Do not use the opener or try lifting the door to confirm a suspected spring failure.
The highlighted gap shows a broken torsion spring. Stop using the door and arrange professional spring replacement.
Learn more about garage door spring replacement.
Lift cables connect the spring system to the bottom brackets. A damaged cable or loose bracket can affect the door’s support and allow it to move unevenly.
Frayed cable strands are a serious safety concern. Do not touch the cable or keep using the door.
If a cable looks loose, tangled, or out of place on its drum, stop using the door.
Do not loosen, tighten, or remove cables or bottom brackets. Call Empire Garage Door for service.
Tracks, rollers, and hinges guide the door as it moves. Bent, cracked, loose, or displaced parts can cause the door to bind, jam, or come off track.
A broken or loose hinge can cause the door to bind, shake, or move unevenly.
A roller outside the track can cause the door to jam. Do not push it back into place yourself.
An off-track garage door should be professionally repaired before it is used again.
For more examples, visit Common Garage Door Issues.
The opener should move a properly balanced door, not force a stuck or damaged door through resistance. Contact reversal and photo-eye sensors are separate safety features, and both need to work correctly.
Opener strain or worn drive parts can point to a larger door or opener problem. Do not increase the opener’s force to overcome resistance.
Follow your model’s manual for monthly safety reversal testing. If the door is damaged or unstable, arrange service before testing.
For replacement options, visit Choose Your LiftMaster Garage Door Opener.
Photo-eye sensors detect an interruption of the beam across the doorway near floor level. They help prevent closing when that beam is blocked, but cannot detect every object or hazard. Keep the entire doorway clear.
Sensors should be clean, aligned, securely mounted, and unobstructed. Never bypass them or use a person, pet, or body part to test the safety system.
Sensor light meanings vary by model. Check your opener manual or call for help with a closing problem.
A door that suddenly feels heavy, drops, or rises unevenly may have a spring, cable, or other mechanical problem. A crooked door is not simply an opener adjustment issue.
Do not lift, release, or cycle a questionable door to test its balance. Leave it in place and keep the area clear.
For routine care of a normally operating door, visit Care & Maintenance.
Follow your door and opener manuals for monthly safety checks, including reversal and photo-eye testing. DASMA also recommends an annual visit from a trained door systems technician. If you see damage or abnormal movement, arrange service before performing operational tests.
Do not use the opener or attempt to lift it yourself. A broken spring can leave the door dangerously heavy. Keep people and pets away and arrange professional spring service.
Not if the door is open, crooked, or suspected of having a spring or cable problem. Disconnecting the opener may allow the door to fall. For an otherwise sound door during a power outage, follow the release instructions in your opener manual, preferably with the door fully closed.
This can indicate a photo-eye sensor obstruction, alignment problem, or wiring fault, depending on the opener model. Do not use the wall button to work around an unresolved safety-system problem. Check the model’s manual and arrange service if the cause is not clear.
Call when your door is crooked, off track, unusually heavy, stuck, or showing signs of broken springs, damaged cables, loose brackets, or failed safety features. Tell us your ZIP code, whether the door is open or closed, and what you noticed. Photos taken from a safe position can help us understand the concern before the visit.
Not sure what you are seeing? Call 702-373-7890 to discuss the problem.
Use these industry and manufacturer resources alongside the instructions for your specific garage door and opener.
This checklist helps identify warning signs; it does not replace an inspection or your manufacturer’s instructions.
We’ll inspect your door, explain what needs attention, and provide repair options and pricing for your approval before work begins.
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