How to Perform Maintenance on Your Garage Door Remote

Recently, some people in North Olmsted, Ohio began to experience problems with their electric garage door openers. Their garage door opener remotes and similar devices began to behave sporadically, and many people had difficulty opening and closing their garage doors. A variety of fixes were attempted, but typical maintenance, such as changing the batteries in key fobs, was not effective.

As the issue progressed, it was determined that the problem was being caused by a much stronger radio signal operating on the same frequency used by garage door remotes. After an investigation was conducted, it was discovered that the cause of the issue was a device created by a local inventor. This person was using the device to alert him when people were at his front door while he was in his basement, and the machine operated on the same frequency used by most garage door remotes but was so strong that it blocked their signal. Correcting this issue resolved the problem for residents of the neighborhood.

While most people will not need to address this type of issue, this story should still remind all homeowners to perform proper maintenance on both their garage doors and their garage door opener remotes. Here a few simple tips to help with that maintenance:

Check the Frequency of Your Opener

Garage door openers typically operate either on a 315MHz or 390MHz frequency. This a generic frequency that is commonly used by short-range remote devices. However, as the example of North Olmsted teaches us, there is always the possibility of a stronger signal on the same frequency preventing the remote from operating as it should. An excellent way to avoid this problem is to check the other devices in your home, such as your wi-fi, to see if they are operating on one of the two frequencies mentioned above. If they are, it is advisable that you consult a professional to determine an alternative frequency for them, which will help you avoid any interference.

Clean the Remote

If you keep your remote in your garage while you are home, dirt and grime could collect on the device. If your device uses an infrared signal rather than transmitting a radio signal, you should clean around the IR lens, or the “eye,” to ensure that the signal can be properly transmitted.

Check the Batteries

Sometimes, a garage door opener may not function correctly because of a more obvious problem. It can be a good idea to keep spare batteries for your garage door remote in your car. If your device stops working, you can swap the batteries out, and it will most likely start working again.

Contact a DuPage County Garage Door Installation Professional

As with any home appliance, garage doors experience wear and tear, creating the need for regular repair and occasional replacement. When such repairs occur, contact the Downers Grove garage door experts at Blue Sky Builders, Inc. For a free estimate, contact our offices at 630-852-8485.

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/04/us/key-fobs-north-olmsted-ohio.html