Why is my Garage door wall switch not working [Troubleshooting Tips]

Trailblazing innovations have brought an intriguing transition to more convenient methods of garage door operation. For instance, the use of remote control to manipulate your garage door has come with massive efficiency and convenience. A garage door wall switch complements the wireless remote feature for most garage doors. This wall switch enables you to still control the door even when the remote control stops working. What if the wall switch itself stops working? What are the implications? Join me as I stretch the discussion on garage door wall switch not working troubleshooting tips.

Several possibilities would cause your garage door wall switch to stop working. Technical issues like power problems rising from the motor unit or the electrical outlet, faulty wiring between the motor unit and wall console unit, a faulty button or loose wiring at the level of the wall control or opener are some of the probable causes altering the operation of the wall control unit. That said, how then do you pinpoint the particular problem causing your garage door switch not to work?

An illustration of a door controlled by a wall switch

ALSO READ: Garage Door Won’t Open with a Wall Switch

How do you test a garage door switch?

The garage door wall switch and remote control feature are the two common mechanisms integrated into garage door openers to help you control the garage door. This wall control is found inside the garage as a hard-wired wall switch. This switch bears a button that you push to either lower or open the garage door.

The wall console unit is not much of an intricate device. For most garage door opener models, only two wires connect to the wall button. In addition, the wall control unit bears a switch that can incapacitate the radio remote and the wall button. Most openers have a lamp attached to them. The button to turn on this lamp is also fitted on the wall console unit.

The garage door tends to be one of the most regularly used openings in many homes. Technical issues altering the proper functioning of the door may arise due to frequent usage. For instance, your wall control may stop working on your garage door opener. When this happens, how do you test a garage door switch? Elaborated below are steps you can follow to help you rule out the various possibilities and find a diagnosis for this problem. They include;

Test for power

You can start by examining the status of the electronic display or LED light on the wall control unit. It can either be on/off.
If the LED light is on or the electronic display is functioning, examine the next area in line for inspection.

If the electronic display is not working or the LED light is off, proceed to check whether the garage door opener unit has power. You check by locating the LEARN button on the motor unit and pressing it. There can be two outcomes; either the light on the motor fails to come on, or it lights up.

If it fails to come on, you will need to reprogram the house circuit breaker for the garage door opener electrical outlet. This will be necessary to restore power to the motor unit.

However, the issue may not resolve even after reprogramming the house circuit breaker. When this is the case, proceed to carry out trials on the electrical outlet by connecting a small gadget or a lamp.

This test should help you determine the condition of the outlet. If you determine that the outlet is faulty, contact a professional (electrician) for its repair. Suppose the outlet is in proper condition and you have eliminated all issues pertaining to the power supply. In that case, replacing the logic board on the garage door opener will be necessary.

If it lights up, that is your confirmation that the motor unit has power. This confirmation should give you the go-ahead to proceed to the next area for examination.

Examine the wiring between the motor unit and wall console unit

Having carried out the above test, checking the wiring condition between the motor unit and wall control should follow. This is after ensuring that the motor unit has power, but the wall control is still not working.

Start by checking the wire connection of the wall console to the motor unit. The white wire bearing red markings should connect to the red terminal, while the plain white wire links to the red terminal. You ought to ensure that the wires are securely connected.
Proceed to check the wires linked to the wall console unit. If you detect any loose wires present, securely reconnect them.

Also, check for any damage in the wires between the wall console unit and the motor if the path is visible. Correct any evident damage through repair.

Test the concealed wiring

This test should follow after determining the security of the visible wiring. The essence of testing the wiring embedded in the wall is because wall switch problems can arise from this invisible wiring. The variation of garage door openers influences the method you use to conduct this test. This test is carried out either by;

Testing the wiring of wall consoles with a digital display

Detach the wall console from the wall and then disconnect the wall console cables from the motor. Also, disconnect the wires from the wall console at the back.

For about a foot long, clip a piece of insulated 2-strand wire followed by stripping around ½” of insulation from either end. Connect the matching red and white terminals on the wall control to the motor using the 2-strand wire. There are two possible outcomes;

The first outcome is when the wall control comes on and starts to function. This is indicative of a functional wall console unit. The problem in this case sources from the wiring between the wall control and the motor. You can correct this issue by replacing the wiring.
The second outcome is when the wall control functions improperly and fails to come on. This is indicative of a faulty wall console or a bad garage door opener’s logic board. Handling this type of wall control with digital display past this point can be a bit tricky, and therefore seeking professional assistance is recommendable.

Testing the wiring of wall consoles with an LED light

When compared to the former, this type of test is considered much more easy and feasible. Here is all you need to do;

Detach the wall control unit from the wall and then disengage the wires linking the wall control at the back.
This is the test step. Bring the bare ends of the disconnected wall console wires into contact and observe whether the garage door moves. There are also two possible outcomes;

The movement of the garage door is indicative of proper wiring. The problem does not lie with the wiring since the motor recognized the connection after you brought the bare ends into contact. In that case, replacement of the wall console unit would be best.
Failure of the garage door to move suggests that the issue rises from the wiring. Here is how you can test the wiring;

Disengage the wires from the motor.

Create a jumper wire by cutting a piece of insulated 3” strand wire followed by stripping 1/2” of insulation off either end.
To observe whether the door will move, slip the jumper wire into the wall console terminals located on the motor. There are two possible outcomes;

If the garage door moves, you can interpret that as breakage in the wall control wiring. Wire replacement can resolve this issue.

If the garage door fails to move, a defective logic board is the most probable candidate in this case. To correct this, you will need to replace the board.

The video below shows the troubleshooting ideas for the garage wall switch

Why is my garage door wall switch blinking?

Is the continuous flashing of your garage door wall switch irritating you? You should rather interpret it as a signal of a problem with a part of the system. It could either be that the safety sensors have developed a fault or an issue with the lock button.

Let’s break down the lock button problem further. Instances like the usage of the wall panel control will prompt one to turn the lock button on. Leaving the system in lock-out mode can result in the constant blinking of the wall button. It also disables the remote control feature making your remote control fail to work, and you can only operate the door from the garage door wall switch.

To determine if this is the case, identify the lock button on the opener. Check if it is on and turn the lock button off if it is on. To enable the remote control feature, you will just press the lock button for about five seconds, after which the light on the opener will blink twice.

If you rule out the lock button problem, you should check the safety sensors as they could also cause the constant blinking of the wall switch. Examine the sensors for obstruction or misalignment. Such sensor problems will not only make the lights flash up to 10 times but also force your garage door to reverse. Try to clear the obstructions or align the sensors accurately to resolve this problem.

Can you bypass garage door sensors?

Yes, you can. You can bypass the safety sensors after establishing that they have an issue that needs you to replace them. Tolerating malfunctioning safety sensors can be quite annoying and might make you resort to bypassing them if you have exhausted all practical alternatives to restore normalcy in their operation. Fortunately, most automatic garage doors can be set to a manual mode to actually bypass the sensors.

How do I fix the blinking light on my garage door opener?

As mentioned earlier, problems revolving around the safety sensors will have the light on the garage door opener flashing up to 10 times. The most common issue is misalignment. You can resolve this issue by;

Start by identifying the two photo eyes installed on either side of the garage door.
Clear any obstructions, such as dust or leaves, by cleaning the eye lens with a soft microfiber cloth.
Unfasten the wing nut supporting the photo-eye, followed by adjusting them to ensure the accurate alignment of both sensors.

Conclusion

Despite most garage doors supporting remote control, the garage door wall switch still holds its weight as a fundamental part of the garage door system. It has undeniably conveyed a trouble-free home experience since now all you need to do to open your garage door is pressing a button.

This user-oriented means of controlling a garage door is certainly a significant upgrade from the previously used laborious methods. However, even with all these laudable credits to the garage door wall switch, its operation can sometimes hit a snag.

The reasons for your garage door wall switch failing to work are usually not so serious. At times, a simple reason like having your garage door opener in vacation mode unknowingly may be the sole reason your garage door is in locked mode. I believe this article has comprehensively addressed all issues relating to a garage door wall switch not working from soup to nuts. The information provided should help you get to grips with the wall control problems.