Don't Be the Victim of a Preventable Crime

If you're like me.. or many of your friends and neighbors... you have a lot of "stuff" in your garage.
Usually there's enough that you can't get a car inside. If this sounds familiar, please pay close attention and answer this question.  Where do you keep the remote control for your garage door opener?

I can tell you that most people keep it in their car parked in front of that very full garage and that is exactly where a growing number of thieves are looking for them. A quickly broken car window and your garage door is open.

OK so not everything in the garage is super valuable - but... very few of us lock the door between the house and the garage and once in the garage thieves have free range of your home.

The solution? get a key fob style garage door remote that goes inside with your keys or get a keyless entry pad installed outside your garage door. These are simple, quick and not very expensive options available from your garage door professional that will insure you won't be the victim of a very preventable crime.

Garage Door Remote now Working? - Check These Things First

We've all had the experience... you're in a hurry (either coming or going) and you push that magic little button to open/close your garage door and nothing happens....

It's frustrating, but there are a couple of quick things you can do
1. Make sure the power is on! Many people quickly blame the garage door opener as the cause of the problem without realizing that the power is out at their home or neighborhood. If you experience power outages often, it may be worth looking into a garage door opener that has a built-in battery backup. Certain Liftmaster, Chamberlain, and Craftsman branded garage door openers have this feature.

2. If you have another remote control, try it next. If neither one of them work, the problem may not be related to the remote control.
3. Try the wall switch. If the garage door opener works properly when you use the wall switch in your garage, the problem is most likely with the remote. These can be reprogrammed by following the manufacturers instructions.
4. If the wall switch also fails to open the garage door, consider calling your local service technician. The problem may be related to a defective control board in the opener, or it could be related to radio interference. Both of these problems require special tools to troubleshoot.

How to Program a Universal Garage Door Opener

The universal garage door opener is a modern miracle that has saved the fortunes of countless families who have lost the remote control that came with their garage door opener. It also comes in handy when you need to get a new garage door opener but prefer to customize the shape of the buttons and, in some cases, their function. Universal garage door openers also come in handy when you have to manage multiple garage doors, like the one at your home and the one at your beach chateau.

Programming a universal garage door opener is simple. When you buy the device, there will be a list of codes associated with the brands and models of common garage door openers. Some brands claim to open and close 80 percent of garage door openers on the market. That means that you shouldn't waste time hunting for the one that handles your garage door or garage doors-unless you bought your model from Eastern Europe or on the grey market.

Find the code that corresponds to the brand and model of your garage door opener or openers. Program that code into the universal garage door opener, press enter and test. Your garage door should open and close with ease.

You aren't done yet. Never throw away the code manual for your universal garage door opener. Without it, you will not be able to reprogram the device when you have to replace the batteries. Keeping the manual will also come in handy if you need to add a new garage door opener to your remote.

By: Jackson Tremont

Simple way to prevent a Garage Door Break-in

All across the country police are experiencing an increase in home burglaries via the garage door.
And in most cases the homeowners seem to have done everything right with one glaring exception.

Homeowners have installed security systems, they've locked their garage doors and still getting robbed.. how? The burglars are using the homeowners own remote control.... In many of these cases the car was parked in front of the home.. with the garage door opener in the car.
One quick broken window and they have access.

So what's the simple solution? First, don't leave the garage door remote in an obviously visible location in the car... better yet.. get a key fob style remote. These small remotes stay with your keys and not your car. Call your local professional to order the right type for your opener.

Simple Garage Door Repair Tips that Will Save Time & Money

If you own or rent a home, and have a garage door you have probably had, or will have a problem with it. Garage doors can be problematic. Sometimes they won't go up, other times they refuse to go down. It is possible, however, to fix some of the minor issues that are preventing your garage door from working well, and the best part is for some things, you can do it yourself.

These simple tips will help you determine if you need to hire a garage door repair professional to do the work .

Many garage door problems are related to automatic garage door openers. If your door will not open start by checking to see if the batteries in your remote are bad. Replace them and try the remote again. If that doesn't solve the problem, it's time to move on to the next possibility.

Modern garage door systems are required by law to have "safety eyes". This safety feature makes sure a door doesn't come down on your car or on you. Safety eyes are required to be placed down near the base of the door. You should see a small box on each side with a small light. These are small laser's and, if aligned properly, the lights will be "on". This insures that if something is in the way the door will not shut and will reverse itself. Check to see if anything is obstructing the path between the "eyes". Then check to see if the sides are lined up. If they are not aligned properly one or both of the lights will be flashing. Line them up and try opening the door again.

If this still does not solve the problem there are still some things to check before calling a professional. Is the door locked? Is the "Lock" switch on at the wall button? These need to be unlocked for your door to work. Sometimes doors are disconnected from their openers. Try opening the door by hand. If it slides right up it is disconnected from the opener. Open the door and push it back as far as it can go, walk over to the rope that hangs down in the middle of the garage and pull it back until you here a click. The door is locked in place now and should work. If none of these things are your problem than you should probably consult a Precision Door professional.

Common Garage Door Opener Problems

Possible problems with your garage door opener can include:

Lack of power caused by a blown fuse, tripped circuit breaker or disconnected power cord. If a fuse is blown or circuit breaker is tripped, take caution as the root cause of the problem could be an electrical short, jammed opener or jammed door.

Issue with the door opener remote or transmitter. This can be something as simple as battery replacement, a lose wire or improper programming. Refer to your door opener owner’s manual for more information.

If the opener goes up but does not close the door, the issue may be with the photoelectric safety devices located approximately one foot above the floor on each side of the door. If these devices are out of alignment, blocked or the wiring to them is broken the door will not close.

If the door opener operates, but does not close or open the door completely, the issue could be that the opener’s limit switches are out of adjustment. Refer to your door opener owner’s manual for more information or contact a professional.

Other common problems with an opener include issues with the internal parts:
Bad motor
Damaged or stripped gears
Broken belt or chain
Bad internal electronics

Even though many internal parts on a garage door opener can be repaired, it is usually easier and more economical in the end to replace it with a new garage door opener.

Vacation Tips for your Garage Doors

• While on vacation or away from home for extended periods of time, unplug the garage door opener unit or use a wall vacation lock console security switch, which is an optional accessory to most openers.
• Never leave the remote control in the car or with a parking attendant. It should be treated like a house key.
• Always lock the door from the garage to the inside of your home. It’s a small inconvenience for safety and security.
• If your opener doesn’t have a rolling-code technology system, be sure to change the manufacturer’s standard access codes on the operator and remote control. By using the standard factory settings, your garage is vulnerable to break-ins by anyone with the same brand of remote control. \
• Consider purchasing a garage door opener with rolling-code technology, which changes the access codes each time the transmitter is used to prevent code-grabbing.
• Wireless keypads, which activate the garage door opener with a personal identification number (PIN), are available for most garage door openers. This allows family members to open the door without the use of a key or remote.
• Never disclose the PIN or leave it written down. Any mounting location for a keypad or wall button must be in direct line of sight with the door.