Is It Time to Buy a New Garage Door Opener?

March 26th, 2013 Posted in Garage Door Openers
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Stopping your car to get out in order to open a manual garage door every day gets old very quickly, as does dealing with an automatic garage door that’s noisy or slow to open and close. There are plenty of reasons why you may be in need of a new garage door opener installation, and just as many excuses for putting the chore off for another day. 

A garage door opener that’s functioning properly and in good repair is not only a convenient feature, but also one that can be integral to the security and safety of your home. Older models that are still operating may be good candidates for replacement if they were installed before 1993, as they may lack the automatic safety reversal feature that became compulsory that year. These sensors can prevent injuries sustained by children or pets attempting to run under a garage door as it closes, and are highly recommended for all homeowners that have not yet upgraded. 

Another drawback of older garage door openers is that the remote controls may function with a fixed code, which means that the code can be duplicated by would-be intruders. Newer openers use a rolling-code system that generates a new code each time the door is used. New models may also feature a battery backup system that will allow you to operate the door during a power outage. 

If you’re considering the replacement or installation of a new garage door opener, be sure that you contact a licensed and experienced garage door installation and repair technician in your area today to discuss the many options and features available.

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Don’t Get Locked Out Of Your Garage

February 14th, 2013 Posted in Garage Door Openers
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We often take garage door openers for granted. It is so convenient just to push a button and drive right into our garage. It isn’t until something happens and that garage door doesn’t go up that we realize how much we depend on these little gizmos. Whether a battery dies, the electricity goes out or we lose our remote, there are ways to make sure that you never get locked out of your garage. 

  • Keypad entry. Many garage door openers now have an option for keypad entry outside of the garage door. These keypads allow you to enter a code and open the door even when you do not have your remote or if the remote battery dies. There are even Keypads with fingerprint technology that are programmed to open only for you or your family’s fingerprints.
  • Back-up battery. Another great feature that you can look for when purchasing a garage door opener is a back-up battery feature for when your home loses power. This will allow you to open your garage door a few times while the power is out. Nothing is more frustrating then to not be able to open your garage door when there is a storm going on and you want to get your car safely into the garage. 

There are more and more options available for garage door openers, including smart phone applications that can operate your garage door from anywhere in the world. Technology has advanced and the old garage door remote controls are becoming a gadget of the past. With all these new features, you never need to be locked out of your garage again!

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Garage Door Intruder Safety

February 14th, 2013 Posted in Garage Door Openers
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One way intruders try to get in to a home is through the garage doors. While many improvements have been made in garage door openers to ensure security, some are better than others. There are certain features to look for and safety measures that homeowners can take to make sure that no intruders are able to enter their home through the use of their garage doors. 

  • Rolling codes. Newer models of garage door openers come with what are called rolling codes. This means they change access codes each time you use the opener. This is important to keep criminals from “grabbing” the code. If you have an older model, consider updating it or at least changing the manufacture code.
  • Remote controls. Never leave your garage door remote control in your car. If a thief breaks into your car or you have an unscrupulous valet or parking attendant, they may now have access to your home.
  • Lock the home entry door. This may seem like an inconvenience, but in case someone does get into your garage, you should keep the door to the home locked. It is worth having to unlock it every time to keep your home safer.
  • Unplug the door opener. If you will be out of town for a few days or longer, consider unplugging the garage door opener or use the vacation lock. Either should make the opener unusable while you are away. 

Automatic garage door openers are a wonderful convenience and something most of us do not want to do without. However, it is important to make sure that the convenience is balanced with good safety procedures and features.

 

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Garage Door Remote Controls

January 27th, 2013 Posted in Garage Door Openers
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Beyond the type of drive, the other aspect to consider when buying a garage door opener is what type of remote you’ll be using. After all, the main reason you buy a garage door opener is so you can sit in your car and raise and lower the garage door without having to take a single step in the snow, rain or in extreme hot or cold temperatures. 

Long gone are the days of the remote with just one button that opens and closes the door. Now, there are numerous options, including: 

Multiple Button Remotes – Multiple-button remotes are ideal if you have a two or three car garage with multiple doors. This type of remote allows you to open one door and not the other, all with just one remote. 

Wireless Keypads: If you’re the forgetful sort who loses your remote or forgets to replace batteries and you find yourself locked out of the house, a wireless keypad can be a godsend. This is simply a pad that’s installed on the outside of the garage that uses a special security code to open the door. 

LED Lights: Some remotes have special LED lights alerting you to problems like malfunctions or low batteries. 

Rolling Code Technology: A control with rolling code technology is a must if you are concerned about security. In the past, remotes used one programmed code to raise and lower the door. The problem with this, however, was that thieves could intercept the code with a radio signal and potentially break into your home. Rolling code technology prevents that by sending a new code each time the garage door is opened, making it virtually impossible for crooks to crack it.

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A Primer on Garage Door Openers

January 27th, 2013 Posted in Garage Door Openers
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If you’ve been shopping for a new garage door opener, you’ve no doubt been bombarded with a wide number of options. What you’ll find, however, is that the majority of openers fall into one of three main categories:  chain drive, belt drive and screw drive. Each has its pros and cons for the homeowner. 

Chain Drive: The chain drive garage door opener is probably the most common type of opener. It uses a chain, similar to a bicycle chain, to move a trolley, or carriage, that is connected to a metal arm, called a J-arm, that is connected to the garage door. This is the least expensive type of opener and the most reliable, but also the noisiest. As such, it is not the model to use if your garage is located under a bedroom. If the garage is detached, however, it is ideal. 

Belt Drive: This type of opener works basically in the same way as a chain drive opener except instead of using a chain, it uses a belt made of fiberglass, polyurethane or rubber.  Belt-driven openers are just as reliable as chain driven openers, but they are a lot quieter, making them ideal for built-in garages. The major drawback for belt drives is that they are usually more expensive, up to $100 more than a chain driven unit. 

Screw-Drive: The shaft drive opener uses a threaded metal shaft to connect the motor to the door. Since the shaft does not bend like a belt or chain, the garage door cannot be budged open, resulting in better security for the homeowner. This type of opener is also quicker, opening a door at up to a foot a second, compared to the average 7 inches per second of other types of openers. Cons with screw-dive openers are that they do not respond well to temperature extremes, hot and cold, and are noisier than belt drives. They are also the most expensive of the three types of openers.

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Garage Door Security

January 1st, 2013 Posted in Garage Door Openers
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Believe it or not, your garage represents one of the highest security risks to your home. A garage door left wide open is an open invitation to a would-be burglar, who can steal lawn mowers and other high-priced items in a matter of minutes. The garage also typically provides access into the home, where the burglar can help himself to other valuables. 

However, it is possible to minimize the chances of a burglary by adhering to some of the following tips: 

1. Never leave the garage door open – Remember an open door, to the burglar, is an invitation. He can see what you have in your garage and how to access not just the garage, but your house as well. 

2. Block windows or replace your windowed garage door with a windowless door – Burglars can easily peek inside if you have windows, and all it takes is seconds to case the situation. 

3. Install lights near the garage – If the garage area is well lit, there is less chance of a break-in occurring at night. A light – or better yet a motion sensor light – will remedy the situation. 

4.  Make sure the remote for your garage door opener has “rolling code” technology – This is very important. Older automatic garage door openers allow burglars access to your garage through their use of an electronic device called a “code grabber,” which allows them to record the radio signal from your remote to the opener, which discloses the code.  A remote with rolling code technology sends a different security code each time you use the opener, thus foiling a would-be robber. 

5.  Be sure to lock everything – Lock all the doors, including the garage door and the door from the garage into your home. Also, have a garage door specialist come in to check the locks and security of your existing garage door, and make recommendations for improvements.

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Garage Door Opener Repair & Troubleshooting Part 1

September 19th, 2012 Posted in Garage Door Companies, Garage Door Opener Repair, Garage Door Openers
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A common garage door opener repair and troubleshooting issue is short range transmitter reception or intermittent operation from your garage door openers remote control.  One of the first things you would do is to see if all your garage door opener remotes behave the same way. If they don’t try changing the battery in your transmitter as they become weak with routine use and require periodic replacement, the type of battery will depend upon the make and model of your automatic garage door opener. If you only have 1 remote and changing the battery doesn’t help you could have a problem with your receiver board inside your garage door opener control box on the ceiling. It’s also very possible that you have a damaged or intermittent garage door transmitter.

You can contact your favorite garage door opener repair company to purchase a replacement garage door opener remote.

Since your garage door openers remote control or transmitter works off of radio frequency there are many things that can interfere with the signal and diminish the distance or range that your garage door opener will work from. Some of the causes can be another garage door opener unit in the same garage, cordless telephones, WiFi, Invisible Pet Fences etc. Furthermore the source of your garage door opener repair could be interference from your neighbor’s home, cell phone towers, a nearby airport, microwave transmitting station or a radar station.

Sometimes the garage door opener that you think needs repair isn’t the problem and it’s actually your other garage door opener needing repair. If you have more than 1 garage door opener in the same garage try unplugging the other garage door opener from the electrical outlet and see if that solves the problem. If it does the radio receiver circuit board in that machine may need to be replaced.

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Garage Door Opener Power Considerations

August 29th, 2012 Posted in Garage Door Openers
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Buying a new automatic garage door opener for your home involves deciding on the type of drive system, the options and features, and the amount of power the opener has.  Garage door opener sold for residential use can have motors with as little as 1/3 horsepower (HP) or as much as a full 1 HP.  Generally speaking, bigger is better but not for the reason most homeowners think.

Most people believe that larger and heavier doors need a more powerful garage door opener, but the reality is that even the largest and heaviest garage doors can be opened and closed with the smallest garage door opener on the marked if the garage door is properly adjusted.

Garage doors weigh hundreds of pounds and would be very difficult to open without some help from the lift assistance springs.  Most garage doors use either torsion type springs mounted inside the garage above the opening or extension springs mounted along the tracks to help lift the weight of the door.  When properly adjusted, the door will be easy to open and close by hand no matter what it weighs.

A larger garage door opener motor is desirable for two reasons:  It will operate more quietly and it will last longer.  An automatic garage door opener with a larger motor does not have to work as hard to open and close the door which keeps noise to a minimum.  In addition, a typical garage door opener goes through 500 to 1,000 opening and closing cycles every year.  If the opener does not have to work as hard, the wear from these opening and closing cycles will be less and the opener will last longer before it wears out.

 

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Garage Door Opener Safety Checkup

August 7th, 2012 Posted in Garage Door Openers
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Modern garage door openers add convenience and provide an extra measure of security to your home.  Unlike automatic garage door openers sold decades ago, modern garage door openers are equipped with safety features that prevent injuries associated with older garage doors.  These safety features need to be working properly to provide maximum security and safety for your family.

Fortunately, it takes less than thirty minutes to run through a safety check to ensure your garage door’s safety features are properly adjusted and working as designed.  The first thing to check is the age of your garage door opener.  If it is more than 20 years old, you should replace it with a new garage door opener.  Garage door openers sold before 1993 are lacking important safety features that are standard equipment on every garage door opener today.

Next, check the spring tension by disengaging the opener while the door is in the closed position.  Then slowly open the door by hand.  Even though a garage door can weigh up to 400 pounds, the door should open easily and should stay in place when opened about halfway.  If the door is heavy, binds, will not stay partially open, or is otherwise difficult to open manually, have it adjusted by a garage door professional. Do not attempt to adjust the spring tension your elf!

Test the automatic reversing feature by re-engaging the opener and opening the door to the fully open position.  Place a two by four block of wood in the path of door and close the garage door.  The door should reverse automatically when it reaches the wood block.

Finally, test the photoelectric eye sensors.  Starting with the door in the open position, start closing the door with the opener.  Without getting in the way of the door, break the photo electric beam with your hand or a broom.  The door should immediately stop closing, reverse direction and return to the fully open position.

If any of your garage door safety features do not function properly, have the door serviced by an experienced garage door technician.

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Garage Door Opener Repair-Infrared Safety Sensors

July 25th, 2012 Posted in Garage Door Companies, Garage Door Contractors, Garage Door Openers, Garage Door Repairs
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So you went to close your garage door today only to discover that the motor won’t close from your garage door remote, keypad or wall button so you think you’re in need of a garage door repair. Don’t panic and call your local garage door repair company, yet!

Before you call for garage door service and repair there are a few things you can try on your own and possibly save yourself some time and door opener repair money.

The first thing you can check on your own is with the door in the open position press and hold the wall control through the entire closing cycle of the garage door opener. If your garage door opener successfully closes the garage door you have now narrowed the problem to your infrared safety sensors. Infrared sensors can often be a simple garage door opener repair.

If you have a Genie or Overhead brand automatic garage door opener you can unplug the motor from the outlet on the ceiling for about 30 seconds and see if this resets your infrared safety sensors or not. Try your unit from the wall button again if your garage door opener functions properly you have successfully repaired it yourself for free.

If this doesn’t solve your problem or you have a different brand of garage door opener such as Liftmaster, Linear, Chamberlain or Sears Craftsman the next thing to check is the infrared sensors themselves. First check and make sure that your garage door sensors are not blocked or partially obstructed by garage items, dirt, cobwebs or bugs. Also check the bottom edge of your garage door for cobwebs and leaves etc. that might interrupt the infrared safety beams. Simply cleaning away debris can save your-self a garage door repair.

If your garage door sensors aren’t obstructed and your garage door opener still won’t close the next thing to check is the alignment of the infrared sensors themselves. Often your garage door opener’s infrared sensors are bumped out of alignment because of trash cans, mowers, bicycles etc. Your infrared sensors have to see each other and can be adjusted up and down or in and out so check them for proper alignment before you call your local overhead door company for a garage door repair.

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