Spoiler alert: your garage door motor isn't actually doing the heavy lifting. The torsion springs carry almost all the weight. The motor simply pushes, pulls, controls the descent so it doesn't slam, and acts as a lock when the door is shut. That’s why a relatively small box on your ceiling can move such a massive door.

Want to test this? Pull the red manual release cord and lift the door by hand. If it glides up easily and stays put when you let go, your springs are doing their job, and the fault lies with the motor. If the door feels like dead weight or slams back down- stop. You’ve got a spring problem.

What The Motor Actually Does

The torsion or tension springs carry almost all the weight of a sectional door. The motor moves only what's left over, which is why the unit on your ceiling is smaller than most people expect. It pulls the carriage along the rail, controls the speed so the door doesn't slam down, and holds the door locked when closed.

One test is worth doing first. Pull the manual release and lift the door by hand. If it moves easily and stays where you leave it, the springs are fine, and the fault sits in the motor or its electrics. If it is dead heavy or drops, stop. That is a spring problem.

The Five Ways A Garage Door Motor Fails

1. Stripped Drive Gears

The main drive gear is nylon. When it wears through, the motor hums but nothing moves, and you will often find plastic shavings in the housing. A door that binds in its tracks chews through a gear fast.

2. A Damaged Logic Board

Lightning, surges and the switching that comes with load shedding all take their toll. You get no response at all, lights but no movement, or a door that runs on its own. A surge-protected plug point is cheap protection.

3. Misaligned Safety Sensors

The two photocells sit low on either side of the opening. Knock one with a bin or a bicycle and the door starts closing, then reverses straight back up. A steady LED on both units means aligned. A blinking one means not.

4. A Broken Torsion Spring

Usually a loud bang, then a door that will not lift and a cable hanging slack. Springs hold serious stored energy and need proper winding bars. We get it, you want the car out. Leave this one alone.

5. Limit Switches Out Of Calibration

The limits tell the motor where the door starts and stops. When they drift, the door stops short of the floor, reverses before it seals, or pushes hard into the ground—usually an adjustment, not a replacement.

What You Can Check Before You Call

• Power at the plug point, and the trip switch on your DB board
• Remote batteries, and whether the wall button still works
• Sensor lenses for dust, spiderwebs and alignment
• Tracks and rollers for an obvious obstruction

Leave the springs, cables, logic board and any wiring into the motor head to a Pro.

Read: DB Board Repairs in South Africa: Understanding Common Faults & Solutions for Your Electrical Panel

Where The Electrician Comes In

Garage motors run off your fixed electrical installation. A new plug point, a dedicated circuit or any work at the DB board falls under SANS 10142-1 and must be done by a registered person holding a Wireman's Licence. That fixed wiring is what an electrical COC covers, not the motor unit itself. It matters at transfer, when dodgy garage wiring tends to surface.

Book A Pro

Tell Kandua what your door is doing and get a quote from a vetted Pro near you. Every electrician on Kandua goes through insurance-grade vetting, so you are not gambling on a number off a lamppost, call-out from R450.

Book a Pro at www.kandua.com

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why Does My Garage Motor Hum But Not Move?

Most often, it's a stripped drive gear. Look for plastic shavings around the unit. If the door is also heavy to lift by hand, suspect a broken spring instead.

Can Load Shedding Damage A Garage Door Motor?

The outage is harmless. The surge when power returns can kill logic boards. Surge protection on that circuit is worth having.

Do I Need An Electrician Or A Garage Door Technician?

Power, plug points and wiring are electrical work. Springs, cables, tracks and gears are door work. If the motor gets no power at all, start with an electrician.

How Much Does Garage Door Motor Repair Cost In Johannesburg?

Call-out starts from R450. The repair depends on the fault, since a limit switch adjustment sits at one end of the range and a new board or gear kit at the other. Get a quote before work starts.

Is A COC Needed For A Garage Door Motor?

Not for the motor unit. Any fixed wiring, new circuit or DB board work needs a registered electrician, and that work forms part of the property's electrical COC.

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