How to Properly Maintain Your Garage Door Opener to Enhance its Safety and Efficiency

If you’ve recently bought a new house that comes with a garage and automatic door opener, you’re probably pretty excited. Having a garage door that can be opened with ease every time you leave your house is a luxury you shouldn’t take for granted. However, having an automatic door opening system is something you’re going to need to maintain.

In this post, we will provide an overview of the main steps you need to take to ensure that your garage door opening system is working properly. Following these steps will not only improve your garage door’s overall performance but will also ensure that you avoid any unnecessary accidents that can keep you and your family safe.

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Even if you didn’t buy a new house, you might have been unable to use your current garage due to having too many things in it. But maybe you recently decided to declutter your space after binge-watching Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix, and you used the KonMari Method to clean your garage.

Whatever the case may be, this article is a must-read if you want to learn how to effectively maintain your garage opener system.

STOP RIGHT THERE!

Picture of warning sign

If it’s been a while since you last used your electric garage door opener, this blog can help you make sure your opener system is running as smoothly as possible. Just follow these maintenance steps to ensure that everything is working properly.

Step 1: Find Out What Year Your Door Opener Was Made

An example of a garage door label and where it can be found on different garage door opener models

Here are the main models of LiftMaster garage door openers with their sticker locations and the information you can find on them.

If you aren’t sure when your opener was manufactured, you’re going to want to check the manufacturing date which you can find on the sticker that contains all the essential information regarding the garage door’s specifications, including both the model and serial numbers. Knowing this information can be very helpful when you call your local garage door specialist.

If your garage door opener is a Chamberlain model you should check out this FAQ post that gives you an overview of the important things you should know regarding Chamberlain systems.

Was Your Garage Door Opener Manufactured Before 1993?

If so, maintenance and repair should be your least concern. Old systems will require a new garage door opener if you want to keep your family safe.

Why is 1993 such an important date?

In 1993, garage door openers made in the US and Canada implemented two reversal systems designed to make sure no one can get pinned under the garage door while it’s closing. The two systems implemented were both mechanical and photoelectric.

Mechanical Reverse System: All garage doors made in 1993 or later are required to have a mechanical reverse system that allows the motor to reverse course if it comes in contact with an object while the door is closing. This detection system makes it so that the garage door opens if it comes in contact with any object while closing.

Photoelectric Reverse System: In 1993, garage doors were also required to have a photoelectric reverse mechanism. This system consists of two units installed about near the floor, on each side of the door. One unit emits an infrared beam that can’t be seen. The other unit is a receiver. If something is detected by the beam while the door is closing, the opener motor automatically stops and then reverses direction and opens the door.

If you want to learn more about these safety features check out these posts on photocell safety beams and learn which urban legend about planes opening garage doors has been proven to be true.

Perhaps you think that you don’t need to worry about upgrading your garage’s safety features cause your opener was made much more recently than in 1993, however, there is another important milestone in garage door safety that occurred in 2012 that you should know about.

Starting in 2012, Chamberlain’s garage door openers have all had Security+2.0, a rolling code technology.

Chamberlain and LiftMaster realized that there was a rise in the number of burglars driving around nice neighborhoods trying out different garage door remotes on all the garage doors they staked out. Some were even successful in opening doors giving them easy access to the victim’s homes. That’s where Security+2.0 technology came in.

This rolling code technology protects against intruders by generating a new security code every time the remote control is used on your garage door opener.

The Security+2.0 label

Want to make sure your garage door opener has rolling code technology? Look for the Security+2.0 label on your Chamberlain, LiftMaster, or Craftsman garage door opener.

The way Security+2.0 works is by activating the garage door opener using a special algorithm that rolls the remote control’s code to over 100 billion different code combinations. This makes it so that the previous code is discarded making it so that the opener will only work with a new code the next time the remote is used. By switching the code every time, the garage is opened, stolen codes will be rendered useless to any burglars attempting to break in.

Now that you know about the latest security features that are necessary to keep your family safe from injury and burglary, we can get into the next steps you need to take to ensure that you properly maintain your garage door opener.

Step 2: Test Your Garage Door Opener Safety Reverse System

An easy way to test your safety reverse system is to lay a wooden 2x4 near your door threshold. After it’s set in its place, you can then proceed to close your garage door with the remote. Once the door hits the wooden board, it should go back up. If it closes down on the board without reversing, then you will need to contact your local garage door and opener specialist.

Step 3: Test Your Garage Door Opener Photoelectric Safety Reverse System

A picture showing where is the photoelectric safety reverse system on your garage door and what it does

What to look for on your garage door when you want to check your photocell reverse system? 2 photo eyes installed on each side of your door no more than 6 inches from the floor.

How to check this safety feature?

Now that you’ve checked your mechanical reverse system, the next step is to check your photoelectric reverse system. If it’s working properly, your door should stop and go back up if you place and that object is blocking the infrared beam sensor. Try to use an old bike or another random object in your garage to test this feature. The last thing you want is your foot or pet getting crushed.

We recommend leaving the object in front of the sensor after you’ve tested the reverse system just to make sure that the door doesn’t open or close. It shouldn’t be able to if you have something blocking the photoelectric system.

Step 4: Check Your Garage Door Opener Wall Control Panel

A picture of garage door opener wall control panel

Where is your wall control panel? On the wall, often by the access door leading to the house or beside the garage door itself, at least 5’from the floor.

The best way to check if your wall control panel is operating properly is to test the main open button to ensure that it opens and closes the door properly. You should also test your light button to see if your door opener’s light turns on.

Step 5: Verify Your Garage Door Opener Remotes & Keypad Work

If you haven’t changed the batteries to your remote and keypad for a while, they will probably need to be replaced soon—especially if your remote or keypad is no longer responding or opening or closing your door.

You can easily test both these openers by checking if the LED lights come on when pressing a button on your keypad. If no lights show up, this could mean that your battery is running low and your batteries may have to be replaced.

Perhaps you already replaced your battery and your remote still isn’t working. IF this is the case you might want to look into reprograming your remote or keypad. Here’s a quick guide on how to program many LiftMaster accessories.

If you have more questions about replacing or reprogramming your remote, check out this article on remote controls, 3-button mini remotes, and universal remote compatibility.

If none of the previous solutions work, you can also check the antenna: An antenna wire should stick out the bottom of your garage door opener. Make sure it is not cut or bent upwards, as it could affect your remote’s range.

Step 6: Check Your Garage Door Emergency Release Rope & Handle

A picture of an installer a garage door opener emergency release rope and handle

As long as your garage door isn’t completely ancient, you should be able to see a rope hanging down that runs from your opener rail to the garage door.

How to check if it still works:

Start by pulling the emergency release cord. The trolley is connected to your garage door and your garage door opener motor. This trolley moves when you open and close your garage door and will be disabled when pulling the emergency cord.

After you’ve tested the emergency release, the next thing you’re going to want to do is to locate the lifting handles on your garage door and lift them. These handles are typically installed on the bottom panel or near the bottom panel of your door. Those who have a garage door spring system that is well-balanced, should have no problem lifting their door with just one hand.

If the door seems unusually heavy and difficult to lift, STOP what you’re doing IMMEDIATELY.

Carefully close the garage door, step away and make sure nobody goes into the garage until you have your door checked, repaired, or received maintenance.

Garage door springs support a lot of weight and if one of them is almost broken or malfunctioning, you could get seriously injured.

Many people think that garage door openers lift their garage doors. This is not the case. Your garage door springs are what does the heavy lifting.

Step 7: Do Maintenance on Your Garage Door Opener Trolley and Rail

Now that you’ve checked your emergency release cord and lived to talk about it, you’re almost done with all the steps you need to take to ensure that your opener is properly maintained.

A picture of an installer checking if the  garage door opener trolley slides well on the rail

The installer is checking if the garage door opener trolley slides well on the rail

The first thing you’re going to want to do is to make sure the opener trolley slides smoothly against the opener rail. You can make this happen by using a dry cloth to remove any dust or debris build-up that might have accumulated on the opener rail. Once it’s thoroughly wiped down, you can then lubricate the rail with petroleum-based lubricant.

And since you already have your stepladder out, you might as well check up on the garage door tracks, springs, and hinges to make sure their properly cleaned and lubricated.

Now that we’ve gone over all the major steps you need to take to ensure your garage door opening system functions efficiently and safely, you’re all set and ready to use your garage door! Don’t forget to repeat all these steps twice a year to make sure your garage door opener is not a safety hazard.

Realized You’re Not Up for this Challenge? Want to Talk to a Garage Door Opener Specialist Before Going Further?

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If you require maintenance, repair, or installation for your garage door or garage door opener, then call our experts today. With years of experience, our specialists can help you with any garage door project no matter how big or small.

Contact us now at 902-439-7907.

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At Island Overhead Doors, we have you covered. Call us today for a free consultation. By answering a few quick questions, one of our experts can help point you in the right direction and help you find a door that will meet your needs and fit your budget.

Maybe you’ve already picked out your dream garage door?

If you already had a door in mind, contact us for a free quotation by email.

Are you still looking for inspiration?

If you’re interested in reviewing some of our previous work, make sure to check out our residential photo gallery. You can also check out our Design Centre. This innovative app allows you to preview what your new door will look like and allows you to pick from a variety of different door types and color options.

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