Garage doors, while seemingly simple, actually possess incredibly complicated mechanical systems that allow them to open and close conveniently and safely. However, because they have so many different moving parts, there are several ways that your garage door can malfunction and begin to operate in a way that it was never intended to. One of the most common ways your garage door can begin to operate improperly is by opening and closing seemingly at random, without any input from your opener. Thankfully, there are a few relatively simple explanations as to why your garage door is operating in such a way. Understanding what those are can help you get your garage door working properly again in no time.

Damaged Opener

The most common reason why your garage door may suddenly open or close, especially if it fails to operate immediately afterward, is because of damage or wear to the opener itself. This can be environmental damage, rust, or even pests that have chewed on the wiring that powers your opener, affecting the flow of electricity to the motor and thus hampering the ability of your door to open and close. Most of the time, this is a simple wiring issue that a contractor can fix, unless the motor itself has been damaged beyond repair, at which point you may need a new opener entirely.

Damaged or Misaligned Sensors

Most garage doors have safety sensors installed within them that ensure that the door will not close on anything that may be in its path. Older doors may have two simple eyes that are lined up at about knee level just inside the door. Newer and more expensive doors can have multiple sensors installed along the path of the garage door's tracks to spot potential debris all along the path of the door. Wiping down and realigning these sensors by hand, to remove dust and correct any minor bending that may have occurred, is usually enough to get things moving again properly. However, if this is not the case, you'll have to get in touch with a garage door contractor to inspect your sensors and see if any need to be replaced.

Radio Signals

Finally, the last and most common reason why your garage door is opening whenever it pleases is that it is picking up a signal on the same frequency as your garage door remote. This can be the case if your neighbor purchased the same door opener as you did or if you live near a radio broadcasting station. This is a simple fix: all you have to do is change the frequency of your garage door opener, which is usually the same as changing the code, so consult your specific model's owner's manual to see how to do so. 

Get in touch with a garage door repair company to learn more.