You’re leaving for work in the morning, you get to your car and you have no garage door remote, to control your garage door. You do have an extra garage door remote, but it’s at home. What are you going to do now? Your family is depending on you so what could you do? Take a deep breath, you can still make it to work on time. Here are some suggestions that may allow you to open or close your garage door manually using buttons inside or outside of the garage. We may cover the basic things on what to do when I lose my garage door opener remote control.
There is often a button located inside the garage near where the garage door motor housing unit is attached, high up on one of the walls. Pressing this button may operate a built-in safety reverse mechanism that may cause the garage door to lurch upward when you pull it down manually which may not be safe in some cases.
There is also often a button located on the wall or on an adjoining section of the ceiling or wall near where the opener motor housing unit is attached high up on one of the walls outside the garage door itself. This button may allow you to close your garage door by pushing it downward in most cases. However, there are exceptions and it depends on the garage door opener brands, so if this doesn’t work try finding another way listed below.
Replace/Reset/Reprogram Lost Garage Door Remote(s)
If you have recently misplaced your garage door remote control and know that its battery has enough power then simply replace it with another fully charged battery and reprogram the opener to accept this new garage door opener remote.
Lost Garage Door Openers
If you have misplaced your garage door opener motor unit and suspect that it may be in the car, house or work vehicle then try taking a look to see if you can find it. If not, and with help from an assistant locate the brand name of the operator and contact the company with this information. The number could be located on the garage door motor housing unit somewhere, or maybe on the garage door remote itself.
You can also take a look in your safe if you have one. If all else fails, try to locate any other opener that operates anything with a garage door opener mechanism attached to it in the house or car. It may be difficult to find another brand or type of garage door remote so this is simply an option if all else fails.
Reminder
If you plan on looking for your misplaced garage door opener motor unit, be sure to have the new garage door remote ready to program before searching so that you don’t waste valuable time. A little planning can save you a lot of anxiety.
Replacement/Reset/Reprogram Garage Door Opener Control Panel
The control unit that you use in your car or the outside button may be malfunctioning and need replacement units or reprogramming. In some cases, it may allow you to close the door down by pushing a button but not operate it from a distance so getting closer to the motor housing unit may solve this problem.
If you have trouble with the unit inside your car check its battery first because it may have been accidentally left on which drains its power supply over time. One way to test to see if this is true is to open and then close your garage door using a key after 30 seconds without using the garage door remote control buttons at all during this time. If the door opens again it means you have drained your car unit’s battery power and need to replace or reprogram this component.
Replacement/Reset/Reprogram Garage Door Opener Motor Housing Unit
This is also a possibility because one of its buttons may be malfunctioning or broken, so check them first before replacing the garage door remote control, control panel, or the entire unit altogether. One way to test to see if the functionality of these buttons is reversed is by using identical working garage door remotes that operate normally then pressing each button one at a time after 30 seconds without pushing any other button during this time.
If pressing one causes the door to open instead of close then there is something wrong with this particular unit since both buttons could work in reverse as well as simultaneous operations as a safety feature.
Call a Professional
If you have been unsuccessful in trying to troubleshoot your garage door opener or if something is damaged after an attempted repair please call a residential garage door repair company. Most of the time they can offer cheap replacement opener remote units that work on the same frequency or can work on a universal garage door or garage opener, regardless of garage door manufacturer.
How Do Garage Door Remotes Work?
If you want to know how garage door remotes work, there are a few different theories. First, you have the use of infrared technology which uses a beam to transmit data from the unit in your car to the motor housing inside your garage. In other cases, it may be a radio frequency travelling from one component to another that transmits the signal from your home’s telephone line then back into your opener system for a garage door remote operation purposes.
The most common problem with these devices is that batteries have been drained over time by leaving them turned on while not in use and/or when they could have been off. If a battery fails while the device is turned on it may take much longer for its power supply emissions to dissipate because of the current flowing through its circuit.
This current causes a small amount of heat to build up as well as slowly dissipating the battery’s power supply as time goes on, so turn these units off after every use and you may have fewer problems with malfunctioning components.
A garage door opener can be your best friend or your worst nightmare depending on how it is operating. Remain calm when something doesn’t seem to be working right because chances are there’s a simple solution to the problem if you only troubleshoot a little first before making a decision about what needs replacing or repairing.
What Should I Do if I Have an Older Garage Door?
Older garage doors may not come with a current operating system so if this is the case it may be time to consider replacing your old model with either a refurbished or new one. These units are available online on auction sites as well as through regular retail stores.
When you decide to replace an older unit, first find out what type of new unit you need then compare prices and features before making your purchasing decision. If security is at all an issue you may want to spend more for that option because it’s crucial in today’s world given today’s climate.
How Do I Know if My Garage Door Needs Replacement?
One way to determine whether you could replace your current unit or not is by checking its age against how often it has been used in the past. If it is over 6 years old, has been used every day, or you are moving into a new home with an already existing garage door opener then you may want to consider replacing it.
While not all older units may need replacement, buying newer door openers can save you quite a bit of money down the road in both repair costs and energy expenses by using less electricity for operation purposes. Another option would be to have your current motor repaired by technicians experienced in this field because they know what to look for when determining whether or not repairs are necessary.
What Could I Look for When Replacing My Home Garage Doors Opener?
When considering which type of newer opener and garage door motor to purchase you need to remember that technology is always changing so it may be wise to purchase a model that allows for future updates in technology, especially one that has smart garage door remotes. This way, if something better comes along you may be able to install the garage opener without having to get rid of your entire system because newer units are backwards compatible with older systems.
Why does My Garage Door Click When I Try to Open It?
There are two possible reasons why your garage doors may be clicking while opening and closing. The first reason is the rollers which the track runs through might be dry or too tight causing them not to turn freely thus resulting in an audible clicking noise. The second reason could lie within the motor itself so if this is happening to you check both possibilities before replacing either one.
Check for Obstructions
If your garage door continues to make noise after checking these two components chances are there may be an obstruction in the way of its movement. There could be something wedged between the tracks such as a small screw or piece of metal, which if this is your problem may need to get removed before anything can move through freely.
Check the Motor
It may also have a problem within the motor so check it thoroughly for any noise while attempting to operate it and if you hear anything out of the ordinary take your door down immediately because there is a chance that something in it has become loose or damaged resulting in a malfunctioning unit with the potential for causing more extensive damage with continued use.
How do I Maintain My Garage Door?
Maintaining your garage door just requires keeping track of how often you are using it throughout the year than checking all components when the unit is not in use. If you notice that your door is making any odd noises or no longer working as it has previously, then takes the time to check the motor, rollers and tracks for anything in their way before attempting to run the system again.
