What to Do After You Lose Your Garage Door Opener

Having a garage door opener makes getting in and out of your home so much easier. With just the click of a button, you can open your garage when you are more than a block away from your home.

Unfortunately, it is easy for your garage door opener to get lost, stolen, or broken. Maybe your car got broken into and someone stole it, or perhaps you dropped it as you were quickly trying to get out of your vehicle after purchasing groceries. A lost garage door opener can be frustrating regardless of why you don’t have your garage door opener. It can leave you wondering how to fix the problem.

The great thing is that you can still keep your home safe if you have lost your remote. There are several steps you can take to get a new remote so that you can access your garage with ease.

Make Sure the Garage Door Opener Is Really Missing

Your garage door remote may just be misplaced. Take some time and check your entire vehicle. Look between the seats, in the glove compartment, and under the seats. Also, search the immediate vicinity around your vehicle to see if the garage door opener fell out when you got out of the car.

If you still can’t find it and you have multiple vehicles, make sure that you didn’t inadvertently move it to another car. Check with your family members because someone may have borrowed it without asking you. It is good to exhaust all your possibilities before deprogramming your current remote and purchasing a new one.

An Ounce of Prevention

If you only have one garage door remote, you may want to think about getting a spare. Once you lose a garage door remote, you want to remove it from your garage door opener’s memory. Reset the code. This way, you can prevent someone else from using your lost garage door opener to get inside your home.

Removing the door opener and resetting your garage’s code will keep your family safe. You can think of it as changing the locks on your house if you lose your keys. You will have the peace of mind that comes from knowing that no one is going to surprise you by just walking into your garage.

Thankfully, high-end garage door opener brands have guides on the Internet that can walk you through the steps to wipe your garage door opener’s memory and reprogram a spare if you have it.

What If You Do Not Have a Spare?

Unfortunately, you might not have a spare garage remote. Even if you do have an extra remote, you might want to replace both if one gets lost. Contact your unit’s manufacturer. They can help you get a new remote. You can also consider getting a universal remote. You will have to program it for it to work with your unit. But the good thing about a universal remote is that if you change your garage door motor in the future, you can continue to use the same remote.

This May Be a Sign That You Need an Upgrade

No one likes losing their garage door opener. However, if you lose your opener, this may indicate that you need an upgrade. Garage door technology has changed drastically.

One of the nice details of modern garage door openers is that they allow you to access your garage from your smartphone. You can use apps to monitor your garage door security, get updates, and open and close your garage door from wherever you please.

Types of Replacement Garage Door Openers

Garage door openers have two styles for programming. One is the learn/start method. You press the learn/start button, and the remote control and your garage door opening mechanism will synchronize automatically.

The second option is the DIP switch. When the switch is placed on these units, it will synchronize with the garage door. This second type of garage door replacement works better with older garage doors. However, it is more common to see the learn/smart button type used.

Your best option is a hybrid. It has a mixture of learn/smart buttons and DIP switches. This means that you will be able to open just about any garage door with this remote.

Thankfully, if you lose your garage door opener, replacing it will not break the bank. In most cases, a universal replacement will cost you between $50 and $70. There are several options available that will work well with your garage door. You can even find remotes that are specifically designed for your system for as little as $30. However, the more expensive the unit is, the more features it is going to have. These features can make securing your home and entering your home a lot easier.

Learn How to Manually Open Your Garage Door

While you are waiting to purchase or receive your new garage door remote, you are going to be forced to open and close the garage door manually. You must understand the safety precautions you need to take. If your garage door is in good shape, it should be relatively easy to open and close.

However, if your garage door installation was done decades ago and you require garage door repair, you may notice that the door is heavy or that it won’t stay open on its own. In these cases, it is better to stay safe and have a professional repair any issues with your garage while you are waiting to get a new remote.

Protect Your Remote From Future Theft

If your remote was stolen, you could incorporate some practices into your daily routine to prevent theft from happening again. Remember, your garage door opener is like a key to your home. You want to protect it as much as you can.

Keep your remote hidden. Most people leave their remote connected to their visor. This is an excellent opportunity for theft. If you think of your remote like your house keys, you would never leave your house keys visible in your car. Even if you don’t want to carry the garage door opener remote with you, put it in your glove compartment or underneath your driver seat.

Conclusion

Fresno garages play an essential role in your home’s safety and appearance. Keep your home and its occupants safe by acting promptly if you lose your garage door opener remote. When you replace your remote, keep it in a secure location to prevent theft.