Table Of Contents

• When to Replace Your Garage Door Opener
• Why Replace Your Garage Door Opener?
• Signs Your Garage Door Opener is Failing 
• How Long Do Garage Door Openers Last?
• Benefits of Updating Your Garage Door Opener
• Where to Get a New Garage Door Opener 

When to Replace Your Garage Door Opener

Many people use their garage door multiple times a day. With a quality and well-maintained garage door opener, you can continue to enjoy the convenience of one of the most important entryways to your home. However, openers are subject to wear and tear and malfunctions like any other electronic device or machinery. 

It’s important to know when to replace your garage door opener to ensure uninterrupted use and optimal performance. 

Why Replace Your Garage Door Opener? 

For many homeowners, a functioning garage door opener is a necessity. It facilitates remote handling of your garage door, eliminating the need for manual operation.

Garage door openers are simple in design but rely on a series of delicate pieces to lift a hefty door. If one or more parts malfunction, your garage door will have difficulty opening and closing or become incapable of moving at all. Maintaining your door opener and knowing when to replace it ensures your garage door works as it should. 

Signs Your Garage Door Opener Is Failing

It’s best to replace your garage door opener when you notice signs that it’s failing, as a total breakdown could leave you without access to your garage. If the malfunction occurs mid-use, the unit could drop the garage door, leading to structural damage or serious injuries. Fortunately, there are often signs that indicate it’s time to replace your garage door opener. If you notice any of these, call garage door professionals to determine if your opener needs repairs or a replacement: 

1. Unusual Sounds 

If your garage door is too loud or produces unusual sounds, there’s a mechanical issue. The same applies to your opener. While it’s normal for openers to make some noises because they run on motors, unusual sounds that seem out of place are a sign that there’s an issue with one or more components.

Loud noises are not normal. You may also hear odd rattling or screeching noises coming from your unit. You want to pay attention to these sounds even if they are not fully noticeable. Remember, trying to repair your garage door or its opener yourself is not safe, as there’s a risk of injuries and electrocution. Work with a reliable garage door company for repairs and replacements.

2. Difficulty With Opening 

A garage door weighs over 200 pounds. The garage door opener’s motor relies on a system of springs and pullies to open and close the door. If any part of this system fails, the defective opener will be unable to lift your garage door properly. 

A garage door that has difficulty opening might: 

• Get stuck up, down or in between. 
• Open halfway and reverse. 
• Move very slowly. 
• Lift unevenly. 
• Shake while opening. 
• Drop halfway.

If you notice any of these signs, you will likely need a garage door opener motor replacement. 

3. Unreliable Function 

Garage door openers are reliable devices designed to seamlessly open and close garage doors for their entire life span. If your opener is older and malfunctioning, it may have outlived its useful life. However, if your opener is relatively new, it’s likely something a professional can fix.

A garage door opener that fails to work sometimes only to resume functionality later is already failing. If you notice a pattern of unreliable function, call in a professional garage door service provider to examine it.

4. Outdated Technology 

Older opener technology means subpar performance compared to today’s standards. If your garage door opener is stuck in the past, it’s time to transition to the future with a new LiftMaster opener. Modern garage door openers come with amazing new features to make your life easier. 

Don’t miss out on the benefits of upgrading to more advanced technology to enhance your garage door. Innovative garage door openers are also much safer, protecting your home and your family.

How Long Do Garage Door Openers Last

The average garage door opener‘s life span is between 10 and 15 years. However, depending on how you take care of it, a garage door opener can last much longer or fail to live up to its service life. Most people use their garage doors thousands of times a year, so scheduling professional maintenance once or twice a year can help your opener keep up with daily use. 

Technicians will inspect the individual pieces of the opener. They may suggest a replacement spring, roller or cable if any appear worn out. To keep everything running smoothly, they will clean out the track and lubricate all of the moving parts so that your door opens with ease. If your door is unbalanced, they can adjust the pressure on the springs and ensure that the automatic reversal is working properly. Regular maintenance can extend the life of your garage door opener by several years. 

You may have an older garage door opener that still functions fine, so why consider a replacement? The latest openers come with more advanced features for added safety and convenience. When it’s time for a replacement, RCS Garage Doors offers the highest quality LiftMaster garage door openers, complete with the latest technological advancements.

5 Benefits of Upgrading Your Garage Door Opener

Besides making your garage door functional again, there are many other benefits to installing a garage opener replacement. 

1. No More Remotes

Today’s garage door openers are smarter than ever. Many can now connect to the Internet, allowing you the most options, safety and security available in history.

With LiftMaster’s MyQ technology, you can control your garage door anytime, anywhere. Doing away with a remote control device opens you up to broader Wi-Fi-based possibilities, such as opening and closing your garage door from your smartphone. 

You can also use this technology to set up mobile alerts that notify you when the garage door is being used. If you’re uncertain whether you closed the garage door after washing your car, simply log into your phone and check. If the door is open, you can close it without getting up from the couch. 

With the ability to control your opener from across the globe and receive notifications about your garage door’s usage, you can travel — and live — with more confidence.

2. Reinforced Security 

An automated garage door opener has added safety features that go far beyond a traditional lock and key. Here are some of the latest advancements in security: 

• Lighting: Automatic lights will keep your garage illuminated to prevent break-ins. 
• Vacation mode: You can set your garage door to vacation mode to prevent intruders from entering your garage while you travel.
• Anti-theft technology: Experienced burglars can hack into the frequency of garage controls, but rolling code technology prevents anyone from stealing the communication code between your garage door remote and the opener motor by automatically changing the access code each time the garage door is opened or closed. With more than a billion possible code combinations, this system makes it virtually impossible for anyone to break into your garage with a stolen code.
• Guest codes: You can create temporary codes for guests to access your home while you’re away. These codes will deactivate later to improve the security of your home. 

3. Additional Safety

In the past 25 years, garage door safety has made tremendous strides. Prior to 1993, automatic reversal systems were not required for garage door openers, which resulted in many garage door-related accidents and injuries.

In 1993, it became a requirement for openers to be equipped with two automatic reversal systems: one mechanical and another based on sensors.

The first is triggered when the leading edge of the garage door encounters an object or person. Upon making contact, the reversal system engages and automatically reverses the door.

The second reversal system relies on a pair of photoelectric sensors, one located on either side of the door threshold. The two sensors are connected via an invisible beam of light, which, if broken, forces the door to reverse.

The most recent garage door openers come with an auto-reverse feature that detects objects in their path through photo-eye sensors. If there is anything below the garage door, it will stop closing automatically and retract upwards. They are also equipped with emergency batteries so that your door can open when the power is out. Even though you have manual controls, you can avoid pulling your garage door open by hand in the pouring rain. If you must evacuate quickly during a storm, you can easily exit your garage. 

A fully functioning garage door opener makes it look easy to lift your garage door. However, considering that a garage door weighs as much as an adult, it can cause serious injuries if it falls on a pet or family member by mistake. 

4. Noise Reduction

Most older openers use chain drives or steel cables to raise and lower the door. Although strong and reliable, chain and cable drives create a lot of noise when opening and closing the garage door. Today’s opener manufacturers use rubber belts instead of chains or cables, allowing for quieter operation. Similar to automobile tires, these rubber belts are reinforced with metal fibers, providing the belts with equal or greater reliability than their chain and cable counterparts.

In addition, opener manufacturers have begun using DC-type motors rather than AC-types due to their reliability. Along with being more reliable than AC motors, DC motors are also quieter. AC motor openers begin the opening and closing process with a significant jerk as the motor hits its top speed immediately, making the operation loud and hard on your garage door. DC motors begin the opening and closing process slowly, gradually increasing to regular speed and then slowing down again before coming to a complete stop to prevent the door from slamming.

5. Less Maintenance and More Convenience

A wise garage owner will have their garage door inspected at least once a year, but you will likely run into fewer challenges with a new garage door opener. 

A brand-new opener will require little to no repairs compared to an older model that is starting to wear out. Replacing your existing garage door opener can make your life easier. You can worry less about whether your garage door will open that day and enjoy all the new features of a new opener instead. 

Contact RCS Garage Doors for a New Garage Door Opener Today

Our experts at RCS Garage Doors make replacing a garage door opener easy. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any of your opener questions. We are proud to offer the latest opener technology from industry-leading manufacturer LiftMaster, and we are sure to have the perfect opener for you!

RCS Garage Doors offers garage door opener repairs, installation and regular maintenance in Charlotte, NC and additional areas so that you can enjoy a fully functioning garage. Contact us today to schedule an installation for your new garage door opener. 

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