A garage door offers more than just allowing entrance and exit to the space where you park your car indoors. For many homes, a garage door provides insulation and security for the people living in it and their possessions. Being one of the largest parts of the home’s front, the garage door must be maintained not only for aesthetic purposes, but also for practical reasons.
An essential part of the garage door is its garage door opener, which offers convenience in opening and closing it. With a high-quality garage door opener such as the LiftMaster control panel, you will enjoy both comfort and ease while also increasing your home’s resale value. Having a quality and functional door opener is therefore a must for homeowners.
That said, here are some signs when your garage door opener already needs repairs or replacement:
Problems in Opening or Closing
Obviously, the first thing you should notice in a faulty garage door opener is when it’s difficult to open or close properly. Observe if the door doesn’t immediately respond to your controls, or when it moves inconsistently or doesn’t move as smoothly as it used to, or, worse, when it fails to open or close altogether.
A perfectly functional garage door opener shouldn’t take more than one second to respond after pressing the activation button. When it fails to respond promptly, it could be due to any of the following reasons:
A damaged garage door opener can be annoying; however, this problem can get worse if you ignore the problem. Similarly, a door that doesn’t move smoothly because of worn tracks can only become worse in the coming weeks.
Vibrating
A garage door opener that vibrates may appear harmless at first, but it’s recommended that you keep observing it. Older garage door opener models may have worn out armatures or their shafts could have been bent, which could lead to the vibrations of the opener.
If the opener appears to be shaking loose from the mounting points, be careful. The opener could break free from the mounting and collapse into the ground. When an essential mechanical part of the garage door opener fails, it’s already time to purchase a new one.
Opening and Reversing
If the garage door tends to open partially then reverses, it can mean a problem with the security sensors that are located at the garage door frame’s bottom. Check to ensure that the sensors are properly aligned by viewing your garage door opener manual.
If the garage door still fails to open smoothly, try sweeping the floor along the garage door’s edge to remove debris that may be affecting the system. It may also be helpful to give the eye of the sensor some cleaning using a soft cloth or paper towel.
Slow Opening
If you observe that your garage door opens more slowly than usual, it could be due to your garage door opener. A possible problem could be lack of lubrication in the roller brackets in the opener. Sometimes, you may also need to update your settings to solve the problem.
Call a technician to help you check the garage door if it hesitates to open or if it’s slowing down. You should address this problem immediately as a door opener that malfunctions like this can pose a threat to your family if it eventually comes undone. Check out this video to know how to get an affordable yet quality garage door opener repair technician:
LED Lights are Off but Problems Persist
While not all LED lights will affect garage door openers, there are some cases when LED lights have interfered or caused problems with how door openers work. At the first sign of trouble with your garage door opener, you can try turning off LED lights nearby it or try replacing these bulbs with non-LED bulbs.
If the problems with your garage door opener cease when you have turned off the lights or when you have already changed the bulbs, you probably don’t need to replace your door opener with a new one. However, if the problem persists, it may be high time to call a technician to check the issue. Also, if you plan to use LED lights in your garage, ensure that you buy high-quality ones as these are properly shielded and shouldn’t cause any troubles with your garage door opener. Lighting your garage is just one of the many things to make your garage better.
Garage Door is Uncontrollable
If your garage door is working irregularly, it’s probably because it’s almost “dying.” One thing to blame could be the wirings inside the system, which could mean replacing the whole system to solve the problem. If the garage door opener needs to be pressed many times before it works, you may have to replace the door opener. If you’ve already tried using new batteries or using other remotes, then the problem might be the opener itself, which needs replacement.
Unusual Noises
Old-fashioned chain drive garage door openers are usually noisy. The chain wasn’t made to keep noise low and the older the chains get, the worse the noise becomes. Because of this, you may consider going for a newer model with a belt drive opener that operates more quietly.
However, if you have a new model of a garage door opener that’s suddenly making unusual noises, it should be something that you shouldn’t ignore. Call a technician to check it and find the source of the noise. Remember that it’s normal for electric motors to make noise over time as they reach their end, so it could be a warning that your garage door opener may need replacement.
Opener Has Been Flooded or Submerged in Water
Water and electronics just don’t work well together. So, if your garage door control panel or door opener has been flooded or exposed to water, you should think about replacing it. Purchase a new opener instead of working with the damaged system that may pose a danger for you and your family. However, if only the remote was affected, you don’t have to purchase an entirely new system as you can simply get a new remote.
You can avoid getting your remote control damaged by placing it in a sealed and waterproof container in the garage or compartment in your car. In case your garage is usually exposed to leaks in the rain, you should commit to fixing the problem immediately to protect your garage door opener.
Opener is an Older Model
If you’re frequently facing problems with an old garage door opener, it could be better to have it replaced with a newer model. Garage door openers that are already 15 years old and above have technology that’s already outdated. Some of these older models don’t have available parts anymore and, usually, a complete replacement is the best option. There are many benefits to replacing an old door opener with a newer, more high-tech one.
Replace Old Garage Door Openers for These Features
Sometimes, it’s more beneficial for homeowners to consider replacing an old garage door opener. Check out the following features in newer models of garage door openers.
Rolling codes are protocols utilized by garage door openers to keep it secure and safe. Your garage door opener remote control broadcasts a signal to the opener using a specific code. Older door openers use the exact same code each time, making them weak against burglars that use a radio frequency identifier device.
Fortunately, rolling code systems used by newer models change each time. This way, it’s impossible to memorize or guess your door’s code, preventing unwelcome intruders.
When a power outage happens, it stops the garage door in its position. If you’re still using an older model that doesn’t have backup battery power, you can’t use your garage door. This problem has been addressed by newer garage door openers with the help of backup batteries.
Although batteries aren’t the typical power source for your door opener, having a backup can be useful when you experience power issues at home.
This feature comes in handy if you ever find yourself locked out of the garage or you don’t want to carry your garage key. You can simply use the external keypad to type a code to raise your garage door.
However, not all new garage door openers come with a keypad and if you’re tempted to replace your old door because of this feature, ensure that you do your research and find one that has this function. If you have a new garage door opener that’s still fully functional but want to have an outdoor keypad, you can opt to get an add-on keypad that might work with your garage door opener.
All garage door openers made after 1993 were required to include a wall-mounted control button or a control panel that a user can use to close the door completely, or an electric eye, which are sensors that detect if an object is blocking the doorway. Most garage door opener manufacturers chose to include the safety sensors or the electric eyes into their products.
At the present, garage doors already have these sensors that detect if something is in the door’s path, keeping the door open. This feature is very helpful for families with pets or children running around the yard. It’s always a good idea to have safety features included in your garage door openers to keep everyone safe and secure, including your belongings.
Smart door openers aren’t as difficult to find or as expensive as you may expect. Regardless of the smart home platform you have at home, there should be an opener that will work with it. Adding smart technology into your garage door opener including voice control, remote access, vehicle detection, and scheduling will add convenience to your garage door. This means that you can lock your garage door during extended vacations.
You can easily open it remotely for your family, friends or delivery agents. You can even have something with a camera included so that you can watch your garage from an app wherever you are if you’re connected to the internet.
Also, smart technology in garage door openers can be extended to multiple users. Compared to old garage door openers that come with one remote control, a second one was regarded as optional as it’s just an additional expense and should be programmed individually. Getting an extra remote control was therefore a hassle for old garage door openers. But with today’s internet-based controls, all members of the family can just use their smart device to have access to your garage door.
Final Thoughts A garage door opener is a crucial part of your garage door system. If you notice the given signs above, it’s better to call a garage door technician to repair it or to have a new one installed. Whether you’re concerned about the style, safety, or security of your garage door opener, maintaining it the moment it shows signs of trouble can save you plenty of money and time. Replacing your old garage door opener should with a newer smart opener can also add more convenience to your daily life.
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