Manually opening a garage door can be inconvenient and dangerous. That’s why automatic garage door openers are such great tools to have. No automatic garage door opener would be complete, though, without a garage door opener remote. Whether it’s mounted in your vehicle or in your Indianapolis home, a garage door opener remote allows you to gain access to your garage with just the touch of a button. Before you can use your garage door opener remote, though, it needs to be programmed. To help simplify this process, here is a basic guide from Garage Door Doctor on everything you’ll need to know to ensure that your garage door opener remote works correctly.
Different Types of Garage Door Openers
There are two main types of garage door opener remotes from Garage Door Doctor: wired and wireless. Wired opener remotes are often installed in the garage itself or next to a service door that leads from the house to the garage. These types of remotes make it easy to open and close your garage door when you’re not in your vehicle.
In many cases, these types of remotes are illuminated with a low-power nightlight so that you can find the remote when it’s dark. Wireless remotes, on the other hand, are almost exclusively for use in a vehicle. In most cases, a garage door opener kit will come with one or more wireless remotes that you can move from vehicle to vehicle. In addition, most newer vehicles come with a wireless transmitter built in so that you won’t need a separate remote.
How Does a Garage Door Opener Work?
Wireless garage door remotes utilize a radio transmitter built into the remote that is paired with a receiver that’s built into the garage door opening mechanism. When you push a button on the remote, the transmitter sends a signal that the receiver can decode. When the receiver detects that the correct signal has been sent, it activates the motor to begin opening or closing your garage door.
A wired garage door opener remote sends an electrical signal to the garage door opener when you push the corresponding button. A wireless remote is powered using long-lasting lithium batteries while a wired opener receives its power from the electrical supply that powers the opener motor.
How to Program Your Garage Door Openers
To prevent your garage door from opening with remotes other than yours, you must program the receiver on your door’s opening mechanism to recognize your wireless remotes. You’ll need to access the opening mechanism, which means you’ll need a ladder or step stool. On the opening mechanism, you’ll find a button called the “learn button.” This button is located in different places on different openers.
Once you find the button, press it once, then press the “open” button on one of your wireless remotes. The light on the opening mechanism will flash to let you know the system has been programmed. Then, you’ll want to test your remote to make sure that it works. You’ll need to repeat this procedure for each of your wireless remotes.
Proper Garage Door Opener Maintenance
Since you use your garage door opener remotes fairly often, they are likely to begin to form a buildup of body oils that can affect the performance of the remote. That’s why it’s good to wipe down all of your remotes with an alcohol-based cleaner that will both clean and sanitize the remote without damaging it.
For wireless remotes, you’ll also need to make sure to replace the battery. Under normal usage, you can expect to replace the battery approximately every two years. Every year or so, it’s a good idea to open the remote to check and make sure that there’s no corrosion in the battery compartment. Finally, make sure to keep all of your opener remotes out of direct sunlight to prevent damage to the remotes from high temperatures.
Garage Door Opener Safety Considerations
A moving garage door can cause serious injuries if it’s misused. That’s why Garage Door Doctor urges you to put safety first whenever you’re using your garage door opener remote. Before closing your garage door, make sure that the path of the garage door is free from any obstructions. You’ll also need to consistently maintain the electronic eye that will stop the garage door if it senses anything in its path.
When pulling into your garage, make sure to turn off your vehicle before closing your garage door. If you don’t, carbon monoxide contained in the tailpipe emissions of your vehicle could cause serious injury or death after just a few minutes of exposure.
What Happens if Your Garage Door Opener Is Stolen?
One of the few drawbacks of an automatic garage door opener is that the thieves have easy access to your garage if your vehicle is stolen. Therefore, if your remote or vehicle is stolen, it’s important to de-program the receiver as quickly as possible. Most modern receivers have a single button that will cause the system to forget all programmed remotes. For extra protection, you may want to turn off the power to your automatic opener until you can get new remotes.
Common Garage Door Opener Problems and How to Fix Them
For all the convenience that a garage door opener provides, it can be quite frustrating when this staple of modern life quits working. Fortunately, most problems with a garage door opener remote are fairly easy to fix. If your remote won’t work, the first thing to check is the battery. Even a newer battery can become depleted sooner than expected. If a fresh battery doesn’t help, make sure that the receiver isn’t dirty to the extent that it can’t pick up the radio signal. Also, make sure that the opener isn’t in the “locked” position on the indoor keypad. If none of these solutions fix the problem, be sure to call Garage Door Doctor for further assistance.
What Happens If the Power Is Out?
Since automatic openers use electricity, it presents a problem if the electrical supply to your home is interrupted. Fortunately, most openers from Garage Door Doctor have a battery backup that will allow you to open and close your garage door at least once. You can also use the manual lift mechanism that allows you to open and close the door without the need for an electric motor. If you experience frequent power outages in your area, you may want to invest in a backup generator for your home so that you can power your opener for longer periods without interruption.
Taking Care of All of Your Garage Door Needs
At Garage Door Doctor, we’ve been taking care of garage door needs in Indianapolis for over a decade. We can take care of garage door installation, repair, and maintenance. Plus, we can install commercial garage doors, extra control interfaces, and various types of loading dock equipment. We even offer emergency service if you should ever find yourself stuck in your garage with no way to open the door. To learn more about garage door remotes, contact us at Garage Door Doctor today.
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