Is your garage door opener getting on in the years? If you haven’t thought about it in a decade or more, it might be time to consider installing a new one.
We’ll look at five different reasons that it’s time to move on and install a new opener. A lot of it comes down to safety, including how safe your own family members are using the garage door. Upgrading will also provide you with new technology and features that can streamline your life.
Ensure the highest level of safety for yourself and your family
If you have an attached garage, what is the main mode of entry into your home? In many cases, the answer is none other than the garage. You likely park your vehicle in the garage, leaving and coming back through the garage. You may even use the garage as a workshop or a place to store all your garden or lawn accessories. If you have children, they may use the garage to dart in and out of the house before and after school. It’s a huge access point and that has to be considered.
Thinking about those things, it’s no surprise that it’s essential to have a door opener that is safe, which won’t injure or fall on anyone. Garage door openers built before 1993 did have a safety system but only one, a mechanical option. When the garage door begins to come down, if the door itself touches anything the door will start to go back up.
Not everyone spends the required time making sure the garage door is working the way it should be, which led to many accidents involving children. That’s why the U.S. and Canadian government decided a second safety system was required, one that uses photo eyes. This now mandatory system consists of two components that are placed on each side of your garage door, around four to six inches (10 to 15 cm) from the ground. The two parts send a beam of light between each other. If anything breaks that light beam, the door will automatically begin to go back up.
Is your door opener equipped with both of these systems? Even if it is, are they working the way they should? That’s the only way to ensure the safety of everyone in your home.
Keep intruders out of your home by preventing the use of the door opener
You may have a remote that is programmed using DIP switches, which are set to a -, +, or 0 position. The problem with this system is that it’s simple for intruders and criminals to gain access to the garage door, helping themselves to everything in your home.
Most garage door openers since 1993 have been equipped with a more advanced security option utilizing rolling codes. That means each time someone clicks on the remote, a unique code is generated. The Chamberlain Group (composed of brands like Craftsman, Chamberlain, and LiftMaster) began to offer remotes that feature the Security+ system, which offers nearly endless codes. In 1996, this system was upgraded into the Security + 2.0 system, which offers more than a billion codes.
Smarted remotes for today’s smarter homes
As technology advances come in, many of us are living in a world where it’s possible to control our garage doors through the use of a tablet, smartphone, or laptop. You no longer have to be at home to close or open the garage door. The Chamberlain group has been offering this new technology MyQ since 2013.
But, that isn’t the only way technology has changed the operation of garage door openers. In 2017, the first garage door openers became available offering Wi-Fi technology. That means that in addition to using your phone to open the garage, you can also use your voice. Things have come a long way in a few short decades.
A modern garage door opener can also reduce the amount of noise
Those who have a garage with a chain drive, similar to what you would find on a bicycle, or a steel cable system will find that noises from the garage are commonplace. In today’s world, some door openers operate by using rubber belts (reinforced with metal fibers similar to the way car tires are made) which are much quieter and less distracting.
That’s not the only way you can reduce noise, though. You can also know swap out your metal rollers for rollers made of black or white nylon rollers. Beyond that, you can implement a vibration isolator system. This uses rubber between the motor and metal brackets to keep noise at a manageable level.
Frequent power outages can also wreak havoc on your garage door opener
With a new opener, like LiftMaster’s models 8500, 8500W, 8550W and 8360W, you can also enjoy the presence of a backup battery. If you find yourself in a situation where the power is gone, you will still have the ability to use your door opener over a dozen times. This can come in handy when disaster strike.
It’s time to make a change
If you’re ready to make your home safer by installed a new garage door opener, begin the process by contacting us at 515‑276‑3700. Our team is on the cutting-edge of the garage door industry and can help you make the best choice for your needs. You can also contact us so we can email you a quotation.
If you prefer, you can also meet us at our physical showroom. On our website, you can find a design that you love using our Design Centre. We also offer an image gallery to get some inspiration.
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