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Diagnosing a Door That Will Not Close

A door that will not stay closed has three broad causes, and they are distinguishable without tools.

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If the door reverses at a different point each time, suspect the safety sensors. Something is interrupting the beam intermittently, or a lens is dirty enough to be marginal.

If it reverses at the same point every time, the cause is mechanical or a force setting. Consistency is the signature of resistance rising at a specific place in the travel.

If it only happens at one time of day, low sun is swamping the receiver lens. This is a real and frequently misdiagnosed fault.

The indicator lights on both sensors settle the first question immediately. A steady alignment light means the beam is fine and the sensors are not your problem, however tempting they are to blame.

Once sensors are ruled out, the next question is whether the door binds. With the opener disconnected, a door moved by hand should travel smoothly through its full range. Anywhere it catches is where the opener is also catching.

A door that binds mechanically should not be cycled repeatedly to test it, because each attempt adds wear and can turn an adjustment into a repair.