Most people don’t spend much time thinking about the opener for the garage door. However, if you’ve been holding off on replacing yours for many years, there are good reasons to bite the bullet and upgrade.
We’ll look at five reasons that you should consider a replacement garage door opener. Not only will you get better safety options, but you will also have the chance to use modern technology in a way that simplifies your garage door use.
Ensure the safety of everyone in your home…
When you take a moment and think about it, what would you designate as the main entry point for your home? If you answered this way, you are far from alone. People store their vehicles in the garage, leave and enter when going to or from work or school, and even use the space as somewhere to complete projects or store lawn care tools. That makes it less than surprising that 70% or more of people regard the garage as the main entry option into their homes.
When you think about it that way, you likely understand why it’s so important that you ensure the door opener is safe and has no chance of causing accidents or injury. In fact, if you have a door opener that was manufactured before 1993, you are unlikely to have the safety systems needed to ensure safety. Before that time, door openers had a single mechanical automatic reversal system. Basically, as the door comes down, if it touches anything on the way, it will reverse and go back up.
This is an excellent method of safety, but there are some disadvantages. Some people forget to maintain their garage doors or ignore it when the level of function drops. This eventually led to many accidents using door openers, many of them involving children. After 1993, both the United States and Canada added a second safety system which features the use of photo eyes. At each side of your garage door, a few inches from the floor, there are units that send a beam of light back and forth between each other. This system will immediately stop lowering and go back up if anything gets in the path of the beam of light.
If you aren’t sure your opener has both of these automatic reversal systems, or you are worried one of them isn’t working correctly, it might be time to replace your door opener with a more modern option.
Keep criminals and strangers from gaining access to your home
With older garage door openers, the remote is programmed using DIP switches that are set in 0, +, and – positions. People who you do not know can easily gain access to the signal, which can leave you open to burglary or worse.
After 1993, the majority of openers have moved on to use what are called rolling codes. With this type of system, you press a button on the remote and a new code is generated each time. The company behind brands like Chamberlain, Craftsman, and LiftMaster, Chamberlain Group, began to introduce remotes that offer the Security+ system, which allows for millions of codes. In 1996, the Security+ 2.0 system followed, making that number rise to more than a billion potential codes.
Wi‑Fi connected homes are on the rise, with even connected door openers on the market
Almost all of us can pick up a laptop, smartphone, or table to open an app. Some door openers offer the option to open and close your garage door from any location. The Chamberlain group has been using this technology MyQ since 2013.
On top of that, as of August 2017, some garage door openers have come equipped with Wi‑FI and voice recognition. All you have to do is tell your phone you want the garage door shut and it will take care of it for you.
Reduce the presence of noise from the garage
Many older garage door openers operate through a chain or cable drive, which both can make a significant amount of noise. When buying a new door opener, you can utilize an option with rubber belts. These are made to be much less loud and are reinforced with metal fibers to provide high durability.
Another way to turn down the noise is by replacing your metal rollers with nylon rollers. There is also a vibration isolator system which places rubber between the metal brackets holding the opener motor and the motor itself. This can add even more noise dampening.
Options for using your garage door opener, even in a power outage
By choosing a garage door opener that includes a backup battery, you can still use the opener over a dozen times when the power is out. Some of the models to consider include the 8500, 8500W, 8550W and 8360W from LiftMaster. If your power goes out unexpectedly, you won’t have to fight with your garage door.
Are you ready to take the plunge and make a change?
Take the first step by contacting us at 1-800-696-1926 toll‑free. Our team knows everything that matters when it comes to garage doors and openers. We’d be pleased to provide you with guidance as you choose the best option for you. We are also happy to offer you an email quotation.
If you prefer, we can also meet you at our showroom. We also offer a Design Centre and image gallery to explore your options and find extra inspiration.
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