Does your garage door opener really need a backup battery?
Needing versus requiring is the FOCUS of this article. In other words, do you require or do you need a backup battery for your garage door opener? If you live in California, you require a backup battery. If you live anywhere else, you may think you do not need or require one, but you’d be wrong.
Why should you invest in a backup battery?
As of July 1, 2019, the state of California made it a requirement for newly sold or installed residential garage door openers to feature a backup battery. This requirement means all home builders, contractors, and other housing industry professionals must install backup battery systems.
Why? It began with horrible wildfires over the past few years and deaths that were the result of homeowners being trapped inside of garages, unable to lift garage doors that were not properly balanced. Had the door openers had electrical service at the time the call to evacuate came, many would have survived.
Such risks exist everywhere, however, and are anticipated to increase with climate change’s impact on rain, wind, and weather.
Keep in mind that a backup battery becomes is also vital if the only access to the garage is through the garage door, which is often the case with exterior garages found at apartment or condo high-rises.
Because of California’s mandate, though, many garage door opener manufacturers, like LiftMaster and Chamberlain, are expanding options for products with backup batteries integrated with the motor housing or attached next to the motor.
What’s a balanced garage door?
We just mentioned the problems faced by people without electricity and with improperly balanced garage doors. An electric garage door opener is designed to replace manual lifting of the door, whether there is a power outage or not.
It might shock you to learn that a metal garage door typically weighs 125 lb. / 57 kg for a single door (9 x 7 ft.) or 250 lb. / 114 kg for a double door (16 x 7 ft.). Solid wood doors are far heavier! The total weight includes the door sections and hardware such as rollers, hinges, Windows, and reinforcement struts.
The door’s spring system acts as a counterbalance to the weight, reducing it to no more than 8 to 10 lb. (3 to 5 kg) and allowing anyone to lift a door quickly.
So, how can you determine if your garage door is balanced correctly? Follow these simple steps:
- Disengage the garage door opener by pulling down on the emergency release handle
- Grab the lift handle and slowly pull up on the door
- Should you strain while doing this, you’ve found the problem
Contact us right away for us to straighten everything out. Perform this test every two months, and even more frequently when you use your garage door more than five times a day.
How To Repair A Liftmaster Garage Door Opener
Liftmaster garage door openers are some of the most common garage door openers available.
There’s a good reason for that, as they’re some of the most reliable.
However, even if your garage door opener is reliable most of the time, it can still encounter problems. If you’re having issues, here’s how to repair a Liftmaster garage door opener and get it working again.
Here’s how to repair a Liftmaster garage door opener.
Simple Fixes
In many cases, there’s going to be an easy fix for your garage door opener.
To help you get started, we collected a few things that might help you understand how to repair a Liftmaster garage door opener.
Replace the Batteries
Most of the time, you’ll find that the batteries in your remote have drained over time.
If you’ve been using it for a while, this is probably why the opener won’t work now.
Try changing the batteries out, and try again. It’s a good idea to check the connectors too. If there’s rust, you can polish them to make them work again.
Lubricate the door
If a garage door isn’t properly maintained, it may not be able to open properly. Lubrication is an important part of maintenance. If you don’t do it, the moving parts may seize up or rust, stopping the opener from doing its job. Lubricate all the moving parts of your garage door, and try it again.
FAQs About Garage Renovation
Does A Liftmaster Garage Door Opener Have A Reset Button?
Resetting a Liftmaster Garage Door Remote. A Liftmaster garage door opener will have a button that reads “Learn” on the motor. To reprogram the Liftmaster opener system, you’ll have to: Push the button on the remote. Press the button located on the motor.
Why Is My Garage Door Not Responding?
Ensure the opener is plugged in and the garage circuit breaker is in the correct place. Make sure your door has not been manually locked by mistake. Replace the batteries of the keypad or remote control. Confirm that you’re within the recommended range and position when using garage door remotes.
Where Is The Learn Button On Liftmaster?
Look under the garage door opener light cover, on the same side as the antenna, to find the LEARN button.
What Does The Liftmaster Button Look Like?
Learn buttons that are red, orange, green or purple will be large, square buttons located under the light lens on the back panel of your garage door opener. To program a new garage door remote, press and quickly release your learn button to trigger the machine’s programming model.
How Do I Reprogram Liftmaster Homelink?
Press and release your garage door openers learn button. Within 30 seconds, press and hold the HomeLink button in your car. Holding the HomeLink button will connect the car to the machine’s signal. If the pairing were successful, the light on your LiftMaster machine would blink once.
Unlock the doors
If your garage door isn’t opening, the simplest explanation is that the door has been manually locked. Try the lock and see if it has been shut. Open it up again, and the door opener should work as normal.
Plugin the Opener
Again, this is a very simple issue to address. The garage door opener can be unplugged, usually to allow you to work on the garage door safely. If it’s been unplugged, then, of course, it can’t work. Check it hasn’t been unplugged, and plug it back in if it has.
Signal Issues
The next thing that can affect your garage door opener is signal issues. These will stop the garage door from opening or shut it again once it does open. Let’s take a look at what can be causing these problems.
Get in range
Firstly, check that you’re in range of the garage door. If you’re too far away, your remote may not be able to send a signal to the opener.
The garage door path is blocked.
Are you finding that the door won’t shut all the way? If it keeps moving down but then auto-reversing, that’s a sign that something is blocking the entrance. The opener has a safety measure that stops it from shutting if there’s something in the way. Check the garage door path for any blockages, and remove any you find.
Blocked photo eyes
If you’ve checked for blockages and can’t find anything, this is probably the culprit. The photo-eyes are what sense if anything is in the door’s path. If either is blocked, it cuts off the sensor and forces the door to reopen.
Most of the time, you’ll see that the photo’s eyes have got dirty, and that’s what’s causing the problem. Clean them off with a soft cloth and try the door again.
If that doesn’t work, the sensors may be misaligned. Tie a piece of string between them, and adjust them until the string is level. This will realign them and ensure that your garage door can open properly again.
Crossed signals
Are you finding that your garage door opens even when you aren’t using it? That’s a sign that you’re getting crossed signals with someone else in the neighbourhood. They may have an opener on a similar frequency to yours, and when they try to open their door, they’re opening yours instead. You can check your manual to see how to change the frequency to stop this from happening.
Hardware Repairs
Finally, there may be issues with the hardware of the garage door itself rather than the garage door opener. Look for these problems if you’re not seeing anything on the garage door opener causing issues.
Broken springs
This could well be why your garage door isn’t opening. The springs on your garage door are designed to give it the tension it needs to open. If they don’t have that tension, the door can’t open when you press the button on your remote. Check to see if the springs on your door have broken or have lost tension.
When checking the springs, remember that they are very dangerous when handled incorrectly. If a garage door spring breaks, it can launch and cause damage to anything in the garage.
Problems With The Liftmaster Safety Sensors
Your Liftmaster garage door not working could be due to an issue with the sensors. As mentioned above, the sensors are there to prevent the door from closing if an object is in the path of the garage door.
So if your garage door is closing partially and then opening again or does not close at all, your safety sensors should be the first thing you check. There could be something blocking the beam between the two sensors. If there is nothing obvious in the way, the problem could be that the lenses on the sensors need to be cleaned.
Also, check to see if there are any cobwebs on the door tracks, as these may block the light. For the sensors to work, they need to be perfectly aligned. If they are slightly off, it will cause a problem, and you will see a blinking light on one of them. Loosen one of the sensors and adjust its position until the light is no longer flickering.
A loose door track will affect the sensors and cause them to be misaligned. To fix this, use a wrench to tighten the bolts.
Liftmaster Close And Open Limits
You can use your garage door remote control to program and control the bulk of the motor functions, including resetting the open and close limits if the garage door doesn’t close or open completely. This can also be done manually on most Liftmaster models.
To do this, you will need to locate the limit dials on the motor housing. Then, to extend the close limit, turn the close limit dial counterclockwise and adjust the open limit dial clockwise to extend the open limit.
Liftmaster Remote Won’t Work.
When installing a new door opener, the remote will need to be programmed and will not work until this is done. Your owner’s manual should provide instructions on programming your remote control.
If your remote has been working for a while and stops working, the most common reason is dead batteries. Change the batteries and try again. If the remote still doesn’t work after changing the batteries, check if the lock switch is turned off if you have a wall-mounted model.
Beeping Garage Door Opener
LiftMaster garage doors that have a battery backup and are connected to Wi-Fi will beep to let you know about an issue or to confirm that a process step has been accomplished.
If your garage door has a battery backup, there are several possible beep scenarios:
- Beeping every 2 seconds and an LED display that’s steady orange means the unit is using battery power. Is power restored in your home? Test the outlet to make sure.
- Beeping at 30-second intervals with an LED display flickering orange indicates a low battery. See if the outlet will provide power when plugged into a different device. If so, the battery needs to be replaced.
- Beeping every 30 seconds with a steady red LED display indicates a dead battery that needs to be replaced.
If your garage door is Wi-Fi enabled, most beeps you hear will be related to the opener’s status in connecting to the network:
- Three slow beeps indicate that the opener is connecting to Wi-Fi.
- Six fast beeps mean that the opener has failed to reach the server.
- Two beeps will be heard when the opener attempts to connect to the MyQ server.
Garage Door Opener Lights Flash, But Door Doesn’t Close.
Your LiftMaster garage door opener features two safety mechanisms that could stop the door from opening or cause the opener lights to flash.
- Check that the lock button on the main door control isn’t activated. When on, this feature will lockout requests from all garage door remotes and restrict operation to the main door keypad.
- If the lock button isn’t activated, it’s likely that your garage door’s safety eyes, which ensure that the door only closes when the opening is clear, may be obstructed or misaligned. See this article for more help on safety eyes.
- If your door comes down, hits the floor, and reverses, your safety eyes are likely the culprit.
Garage Door Opener Light Won’t Turn Off.
LiftMaster garage door openers are equipped with at least one light whose function is wired into the opener. Lighting is defaulted to remain lit for 4.5 minutes and turn off automatically. There are several ways to check whether you need to adjust lighting settings or that there’s a wiring issue:
- Ensure that the light button on your Multi-Function door control hasn’t been accidentally activated. Press and release the button again to turn it off.
- Have you been walking back and forth in the garage? It could just be that the safety sensors are being crossed and, because of that, the garage door light is remaining on.
- There could also be a motion-detection feature. Check your owner’s manual and, if desired, follow the steps to deactivate this feature.
- Your owner’s manual will also tell you how to reset the light time-off feature. You can reset it too as short as 1.5 minutes after activation.
How To Stop Your Garage Door openers From Beeping?
So, now that you’ve identified why your garage door opener is beeping, it’s time for a quick fix! Here are a few things you can do to stop your Liftmaster garage door openers from beeping:
-Change the battery backup of your remote control or keypad. This is by far one of the most common reasons why your garage door is beeping, so it’s worth trying first. If that doesn’t work, then move on to step number two.
-Press any button on your remote control or keypad. If you’re closing the garage and there’s an obstacle, pressing a button will cancel the safety reverse system that causes warning beeps. This method doesn’t work if it’s about to open, though!
-Realign/reposition photoelectric sensors. When they get misaligned for some reason, they might cause the garage door opener to emit warning beeps. To fix this issue, reposition them correctly, and everything should go back to normal again!
-Turn off/unplug devices connected with your garage door openers. If a timer has been set in place or an obstacle activates the safety reverse system, turning off and unplugging all devices connected with your opener will fix the problem.
-Finally, if none of these options works for you or you can’t identify what’s causing the beeping sound on your garage door, it’s best to consult a professional who can help you determine exactly why your garage is beeping and recommend a solution.
Should I call a professional?
Once you’ve tried each of the possible solutions above and still can’t stop your garage door from beeping, give them a call! A professional will identify the cause of your garage door beeping and fix it quickly. They have access to several tools that you don’t, so it’s definitely worth calling them if you’re experiencing an issue with your opener! In this case, you can be sure of an accurate diagnosis and a lasting solution. Furthermore, the garage door expert might encounter hidden garage door issues during the inspection that need attention. This will save you time and trouble in the future.
Sick Of A Beeping Garage Door? Call a Professional!
If your beeping garage door is getting on your nerves, you should call a professional. At All About Doors, we have qualified technicians with years of experience fixing malfunctioning garage doors around the city. No job is too small or too big for us. Just give us a call anytime you have a garage door emergency. Visit our website to learn more about our services!
Why is my garage door beeping?
There are several reasons why your garage door might beep. The most common is because the opener’s photoelectric sensors have been misaligned, so it tries to reposition them and emits warning beeps in the meantime! Another common cause is batteries going dead, which can happen if you don’t use your remote control or keypad for a long time.
Do I need a new opener?
If it is more than 20 years old and there are problems with safety features like reverse sensors, then yes, you definitely need a new one! However, if that isn’t the case, a professional can usually fix your garage door opener.
Can you disable garage door sensors?
Yes, you can! If the sensors are causing beeping sounds on your garage door opener, call an expert to disable them. This will eliminate the noise and allow you to open/close your garage without any problems.
How Can I Replace The Liftmaster Keypad Battery?
Keyless entry methods for a garage door are definitely a novelty and a game changer in home security, guaranteeing easy but safe access to your garage. We all hate using keys because we often forget or lose them.
So, using a code to enter your garage instead of keys makes it much more manageable. However, the battery in your Liftmaster Keypad cannot last forever, and you will eventually have to replace it, primarily if your door is not functioning well.
Of course, your door can fail to function because of the faulty remote or its dead battery, so you need to troubleshoot your remote’s battery using the steps mentioned above. On the other hand, there are several other reasons why your keypad may not be working.
Your keypad may malfunction because its keys are sticking due to the accumulation of dirt and grime. You can easily remove this problem by cleaning the keypad using a regular appliance cleaner and a soft cloth.
Another issue that might arise and disrupt the function of your keypad is frayed and loose wires. For example, if you are pressing the buttons on the keypad and it is not reacting, the problem might be caused by loose cables.
Inspect your keypad; if you notice loose wires, try reconnecting them.
Here are Step-by-Step Instructions!
Step 1: Lift the Cover of the Keypad
Remove the cover of your keypad and check out what is under the number pad. Usually, there is a compartment where you put your battery. However, if you do not see it or are unsure whether that is the right slot, find the manufacturer’s manual.
Step 2: Change the Battery
After you slide the cover of the battery’s compartment, access the batteries by carefully removing the old ones and disposing of them. Then, insert the new one into the slot. Always make sure that the polarities are lined up correctly.
Step 3: Test it
For these types of keypads, we usually use 9 V alkaline batteries. Once you have finished, test the keypad.
If the keypad is still not working, maybe you have inserted the battery incorrectly, or perhaps the keypad is faulty. You can also try to reboot the system or clear the memory, especially if you are not getting any reaction from the keypad.
To reboot it, unplug the system and leave it like that for 5 minutes before plugging it back in. Then, try to use the keypad to test it!
Conclusion
Changing batteries is one of those tasks that are pretty simple, but for some reason, we all dread doing it. However, if you follow the steps in this article, replacing the battery on the Liftmaster remote will be like taking candy from a baby!
Ultimately, if you have tried the steps mentioned above and are still experiencing issues with your remote or your keypad, that is your sign to call a professional.
Have you tried replacing the battery for your Liftmaster remote before? Share your experience! If you have questions, do not be a stranger and ask away!
Why Do I Need a Battery Backup for My Garage Door Opener?
SB-969 was specifically introduced in response to the tragic deaths of five California residents in a wildfire, but there’s a bigger picture that’s important to consider as you’re reading the new law. Anytime your power goes out for any reason — extreme heat, storms or wildfires — your garage door won’t work. Yes, there’s the manual pull cord that should allow you to simply detach the garage door opener and raise the door yourself, but, for older adults or people with a physical disability, manually lifting a garage door just isn’t possible. Installing a battery backup ensures anyone in your home can raise their garage door when they need to.
If you’re in good shape or younger, you may read this and say “I’m fine. This doesn’t apply to me.” Think of it this way: you wouldn’t wait to buy a smoke detector until you saw flames near your home. You purchase and install a smoke detector so you’ll be prepared if the flames ever come. The same is true of a battery backup. You may not think you need a battery backup on your garage door opener now, but who’s to say that you won’t need it if something happens in a year or two?
SB-969 and the battery backup are intended to make Californians safer and prevent future tragedies like the deaths of those five individuals in 2017. It’s also to protect your loved ones who might otherwise be trapped at home if help isn’t nearby. Yes, it’s hard to think about bad things happening, and no one wants to plan on danger, but protecting your family by installing something so simple is a no-brainer.
Can I Add a Backup Battery to My Current Garage Door Opener?
Yes, you can even add a garage door backup battery to your current garage door opener. While SB-969 addresses garage door openers installed on or after July 1, 2019, the safety issues this bill addresses still apply to owners of older units. Even though existing garage door openers will not be subject to fines, the law was passed because it’s something everyone should have in their home.
Adding a battery backup to your current garage door opener is a great way to protect your family from unexpected power outages and the things that cause them. It’s a relatively simple and inexpensive investment that will protect your family for years to come. If your unit is relatively new, then you can simply have a battery backup attached to your unit. If your garage door opener is older, it will depend on its age and the manufacturer. In some cases, you can still install a battery backup on an older unit, but in others, you may have to purchase a new unit in order to have this feature.
If you aren’t sure of the age of your existing garage door opener or if it will be able to support the addition of a battery backup feature, the professionals at King Door can help you figure out what your options are.
Tips for Maintaining Your Battery Backup
Once you’ve had a battery backup installed for your garage door opener, there’s one more step you’ll want to take, and that is to familiarize yourself with your battery backup features and limitations. While it is relatively simple to understand, here are four tips to keep in mind.
Get to Know Your Backup’s Safety Features
A number of battery backup options are on the market today, including several from LiftMaster. Once your backup is installed, take some time to read your owner’s manual. Know how much power your battery has and how many times you’ll be able to open and close your door using it during a power outage. Make sure you know how often you should check the battery to ensure it’s operating properly. If you don’t understand something or have questions that aren’t answered in your owner’s manual, don’t hesitate to ask a qualified garage door specialist for more information.
Know How to Tell If the Battery Isn’t Charging
Your battery backup comes equipped with features designed to let you know if it isn’t charging correctly or needs to be replaced. Besides the green, orange and red lights incorporated into the LiftMaster backup systems, their battery backups are also equipped to emit a series of beeps when the battery needs to be recharged or replaced.
Make sure to learn what those beeps mean and then make sure to respond when you hear them. Just like a smoke detector beeps when it needs a new battery, so will your garage door opener battery backup. And just as those beeps are a call to action to maintain your smoke detectors, use them as a call to action to maintain your battery backup, as well.
Replace the Battery Regularly
Depending on how often you need to use the battery backup, you’ll replace the battery every one to two years. This is something you can do yourself, so familiarize yourself with the LiftMaster backup battery replacement process. If you aren’t sure where to start, ask your installation technician when the battery backup — or unit containing the battery backup — is installed. It’s easy to ignore this chore in favor of doing other things, but it’s not something you should neglect. Making battery backup maintenance a regular part of your home maintenance routine can save the lives of people you love.
Learn How to Manually Operate Your Garage Door
SB-969 was specifically written in response to the tragic deaths of individuals who were unable to manually unable to open their garage doors. However, in many cases, homeowners are capable of manually opening their garage doors. If you are physically capable of manually opening your garage door, make sure you are familiar with the manual override features, so you can operate the door in case of emergency. If you or a loved one in your home is not able to use this feature, be sure to check your battery backup system more frequently to ensure it is working correctly.
Contact King Door Company for LiftMaster Battery Backup Openers
By enacting SB-969, the state of California is working to protect its residents, but that protection still requires you to act. If you are in the market for a new garage door opener — or you want to make your existing opener compliant with the new law — King Door’s team of professional installers is ready to help you make the switch. Offering a variety of LiftMaster Garage Door Openers with Battery Backup, King Door is committed to helping you choose the right product at the right price. On July 1, 2019, SB-969 will take effect. Once it takes effect, homeowners who purchase and install a new garage door opener will be held accountable for making sure they have a working battery backup in place.
Primarily serving Kern County, King Door offers a large inventory of garage doors and parts, many of which we keep on our service trucks. This means we’re often able to complete installation and repair services in one trip, saving you time and money. Our technicians are professionals who have been well-trained and bring years of experience and dedication to the job, ensuring your installation will be completed correctly and efficiently.
If you’re considering a battery backup for an existing or new garage door opener, let King Door walk you through the process. We’re happy to answer your questions and help you make sure your garage door opener complies with SB-969. For more information, call us at 661-397-2744 or contact us online today.