Reasons to Upgrade to a New Garage Door Opener
Reasons to Upgrade to a New Garage Door Opener
Most homeowners use their garage doors as the primary entrance to their homes, making garage doors and openers one of the most important, useful systems throughout the home. Garage door openers, on average, can dependably open and close your door for at least 10 years, but many can operate for much longer with proper care. Even if your garage door opener still works, though, it is a good idea to upgrade it to a new machine to take advantage of improvements in home safety, security, and daily convenience.
Why Replace Your Garage Door Opener?
Can you remember the last time you replaced your garage door opener? With proper care and regular maintenance, many garage door opener machines can function much longer than their expected lifespans. Many older models, however, especially those manufactured before 1993, lack upgraded features that improve the overall safety and functionality of your garage door opener.
If you’re curious whether you should purchase a new garage door opener, then consider these improvements only offered with updated machines:
- Improved Safety Upgrades: When you were younger, you likely remember those old garage door opener models where you would click the wall-mounted controls then run to slip under the garage door before it closed. After 1993, garage door openers were manufactured with photo-eye sensors mounted at the base of the door. If a child, pet or object interrupts that signal, then the sensors instruct the door to raise. By having these sensors, you can prevent property damage and personal harm.
- Increased Home Security: With older opener machines, they use a set remote code to control the door operations. Because the code never changed, intruders could easily copy this code to their own remotes and gain entrance to homes. New garage door openers use a rolling code feature that changes the code each time the opener is used.
- Quieter Operations: Older chain-operated openers create a lot of noise while operating, which can be disruptive to those inside your home or nearby. Newer jackshaft or belt operated machines have quieter operations.
- Battery Backup: If you’ve experienced a power outage with your old garage door opener, then you understand the frustration that comes from being unable to open or close the garage door. Updated garage door opener models feature battery backup capabilities that allow the door to open or close without power.
- Added Convenience Features: Not only are newer opener models safer and more secure, but they also feature the latest technology, such as WiFi — you can control your door and lights from anywhere and have whole-home connectivity.
Benefits of LiftMaster Garage Door Openers
When searching for a new garage door opener for your home, choose only the best, most dependable and advanced brand and model to improve your daily living. LiftMaster has been a trusted, top-rated brand for many years, but their latest garage door opener models also feature the most recent upgrades and equipment to improve your safety and comfort, including:
- MyQ Capabilities and WiFi Connectivity: With MyQ, you can monitor and control your garage door from anywhere in the world by using your smartphone.
- Security+ 2.0 Advancements: The latest in security code technology, Security+ 2.0 creates rolling codes for your opener to prevent duplication.
- Battery Backup: Safely and efficiently operate your garage door during power disruptions or outages.
- Timers: Program your garage door to close after a set amount of time for peace of mind that your door is always secure.
- Model Variety: Choose from a wide variety of models and styles to fit your needs and budget including chain, belt, and jackshaft options.
Contact Upper Canada Garage Doors Today
When you need a new garage door opener, consult with the skilled, knowledgeable professionals at Upper Canada Garage Doors to assist you in selecting and installing a quality, convenient LiftMaster garage door opener. We’re a locally owned and operated company serving homeowners throughout Oakville and the surrounding areas with all of their garage door and opener maintenance and installation needs. For all of our customers, we offer same day services, competitive pricing models and free service estimates.
Learn more about our LiftMaster garage door openers today by completing our online form or calling 905-267-2700 to speak to a team member.
Opening the Garage Door When the Power Is Out
Opening the Garage Door When the Power Is Out
Whether it be spurred on by a frightful snowstorm, rumbling thunderstorm, or just a downed power line, power outages are no fun. You have to fumble for a flashlight to see around your own home and can’t cook your meals because the stove won’t work. The last thing you want to worry about is figuring out how to leave your house because you can’t open your automatic garage door.
Fortunately, garage door manufacturers keep this in mind when creating automatic doors. You can have peace of mind knowing that you don’t need to be trapped in or out of your garage just because your door won’t function automatically. Here are some essential tips on how to open your garage door manually.
1. Pull the Bypass Cord
Before you begin, make sure that your garage door is fully closed if possible. Pulling the emergency cord activates the door’s manual mode and disconnects it from the garage door opener, meaning that an open door could come crashing down at a dangerous speed. If the door is stuck in an open position, make sure people and animals stay clear of it until you pull the bypass cord.
Now disconnect the garage door opener and pull its bypass cord to enter manual mode. The cord typically has a red handle and hangs down from the middle rail of the garage door system.
After you pull the cord, keep it out of the way by securing it close to the garage door motor. That way it won’t get caught on the tracks.
2. Open and Close the Door Using Handles
To open the garage door in manual mode, lift the garage door by the inner handle until it opens fully. The door should easily lift from the ground and stay in place when fully opened. If the door is hard to open, call a service technician as soon as possible to avoid potential safety issues.
To close the door, gently pull the handle down until the door reaches all the way to the ground. When closed, remember to lock your door, as it does not lock in manual mode until you slide the lock bar.
3. Reattach the Automatic Opener
When power is restored to your home and you regain the full functionality of your automatic door, you’ll need to reattach the door to the garage door opener. Plug the opener back in, making sure that the manual lock is not in the lock bar.
To re-engage the opener, pull down on the handle of the bypass cord the same way you did when deactivating it. Pull in the direction of the garage opening. Then pull up on the door until it snaps in place. Alternatively, you can also hit the button on the remote opener. The track will force the spring attachment back into place.
Repairing Your Garage Door With Upper Canada
At Upper Canada Garage Doors, we pride ourselves in the excellent customer care we provide in the Oakville, Burlington, and Milton regions. If you have any problems in accessing the manual mode of your garage door or have any other product or service-related questions, contact us today for an estimate or repair service. We look forward to hearing from you and taking care of your garage door needs.
The 3 Reasons Why It’s Time for a New Garage Door Opener
The 3 Reasons Why It’s Time for a New Garage Door Opener
Has your garage door opener ever stopped working on its own? Or have you ever had your car stuck in the garage during a power outage because the opener wouldn’t work? Hopefully you don’t mind all the questions, but we ask them to make a point.
While you probably don’t give it a second thought day-to-day, it’s when you suddenly can’t use your garage door opener that you realize just how much you depend on it.
Fortunately, most name-brand openers are fairly reliable. That’s why we asked the second question above; because we knew there would be relatively few readers who have ever had an opener just plain stop working.
Why it Still Might Be Time for a New Opener
Basically, there are three main reasons why, even if your garage door opener seems to work perfectly, that you should at least consider getting a new one.
1. Working or Working Efficiently?
As one of those ‘old faithful’ appliances in your home, the mere fact that your opener continues to work is all the evidence you need to not get a new one. After all, why would you replace something that works?
Yet, while it might be working, it might not be working efficiently, and that can mean it can be costing you a lot more than you think. In addition to newer models needing less power to do the same job, there’s no telling the inefficiencies that have crept into its operation over the years.
2. New Technology
For decades, garage opener technology changed very little. A new one usually had similar features as the old one. But in the last five or ten years, that’s all changed. Many of the technological advancements in today’s openers weren’t even heard of 10 years ago. And they mean that today’s opener gives you a functionality that makes your old opener obsolete.
Internet Connectivity
Like a lot of other appliances in and around your home, you can now monitor the status of your web-connected garage opener from anywhere using PCs, tablets and smartphones. So you can know if someone opens it while you’re not home – or, perhaps more importantly, if you are at home. And if a burglar manages to open your door and get in, you can close it remotely, potentially trapping the thief.
Battery Backup
Power outage? Nothing electrical will work, except your garage opener, most of which now come with battery back-ups.
Higher Security
With security codes that change every time you use it, thieves can no longer just look for the most worn numbers on your keypad to find out how to open the door.
Safer
Have you ever arrived somewhere and realized you may have left the garage door open? That means everything in your garage is in full view of the street and anyone can come a take whatever they like. Unless you have a remote connection so you can close the door.
Motion-Activated Lights
How many times have you gone into a dark garage and had to feel around in the dark to find the light switch? Not anymore.
3. Peace of Mind
The last reason that you should replace your old garage opener has to do with convenience. If you think it’s inconvenient to do without your opener during a power outage, wait until it simply conks out on its own.
While they can look similar to older models, new garage door openers give you more than enough reason to make the switch.
4 Ways to Get Your Garage Door Ready for Summer
4 Ways to Get Your Garage Door Ready for Summer
Considering that about 70% of homeowners use their garage at the main entryway to the house, your garage door does a lot more than protect everything in your garage. And, as the weather finally warms up here in Ontario, you’re probably going to be heading out more often than you did when it was -20C this past January.
Put the two of these things together, throw in the facts that your garage door is the largest movable object in your home and it’s just gone through a particularly harsh winter and, well, it’s time to show one of the biggest, most used parts of your home some love.
Spring Maintenance Tips for Your Garage Door & Opener
Fortunately, getting your garage door ready for a marathon of use during the summer’s heat isn’t difficult, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be thorough at every step.
1. Inspect the Door and Opener
Operating in sub-zero temperatures puts a strain on any machinery and equipment. Here’s a checklist of things to inspect on your door and opener for signs of wear and/or damage.
a. Door Operation
Disconnect the door from the opener by pulling the emergency release cord on the opener when the door is closed. Then operate the door manually to see that it can be lifted and lowered relatively easily. If it sticks or is otherwise overly difficult to open and close, you’ll need to look for the reasons why.
b. Hinges
Check the hinges between the panels of the door for signs of corrosion and damage.
c. Rollers
Check that the rollers run properly inside the roller tracks and are not rubbing against the track walls.
d. Cables and Springs
Look for signs of rust, fraying and over-extension on all the cables and springs attached to the door.
e. Check the Garage Door Opener Gear
Look for signs of the gear stripping. If you spot any, it might be worth having the gear replaced to avoid being caught with an opener that won’t work when you need it the most.
2. Check the Door’s Safety Systems
Your garage door likely has two safety systems to stop it from closing if it hits something, or if something crosses its path.
To test that the garage door will stop and reverse if it strikes something as it’s closing, put a 2×4 piece of wood on the floor where the garage door contacts the floor when it’s closed. Trigger the garage door to close. If the door doesn’t stop closing and reverse when it hits the 2×4, you should call a professional garage door repair service (we know a really good one!).
The photo eyes are your door’s second safety system. To check their operation, trigger the door to close and, while not standing in the path of the door, push and empty cardboard box between the photo eyes. If it doesn’t stop immediately, check the alignment of the photo eyes and, if everything looks normal, call a professional.
3. Check the Door’s Seals
The weather-stripping and seals that are between the panels of the door, along its bottom edge and on the door’s frame should be in place and undamaged if you want to maintain the energy efficiency of the garage.
4. Lubricate Moving Parts and Seals
A well-lubricated door will continue to work trouble-free for a long time.
a. Use a petroleum-based lubricant for metal-on-metal moving parts, including the hinges between the door panels, the spring assembly and rollers.
b. Apply a silicone-based lubricant on all the doors seals and weather-stripping
You will never regret anything you do to keep your garage door and opener working their best. It will help everything last longer, perform more efficiently and be safer too. If you find anything that you feel is a problem, please don’t hesitate to call us here at Upper Canada Garage Door, we’ll be happy to answer your questions.
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