Garage Door Opener Remotes Stopped Working?

You drive up the driveway, press the button on your garage door remote and.....nothing! The garage door doesn't move. It could be the battery in the remote is weak and needs replaced. You just happen to have a second remote in the car...press the button and....NOTHING! O.K., it's not the battery. What are the chances of the batteries going bad in two different remotes at the same time? Pretty slim. So here are two possible solutions as to what the problem may be:

1. Lightning or Power Surge Damaged the Radio Receiver - Most people don't think about it (or may not even be aware of it) but almost all of the garage door openers produced in the past 20 years are equipped with a logic board. These boards are the brains of the opener (much like a motherboard in a computer). The logic board can be susceptible to power surges and lightning strikes....if that has happened then the operator won't work and the logic board will need to be replaced. This can cost anywhere from $50.00 up to $140 depending on the make and model of the opener (and that doesn't include the labor a service company to install it).

How can you tell if the logic board has been damaged? You'll need to get a screw driver and remove the board. Look for small burn and smoke marks on the board....if you see any then it is most likely fried. Do yourself a favor and invest in a Tripp Lite SPIKECUBE 1 Outlet Direct Plug In Surge Protector (600 Joules). It will save you a lot of money and you won't have to worry the next time a thunder storm rolls over your house.

 2. The Vacation Switch is Engaged - Almost all of the newer (past 15-20 years) openers have a wall control panel. Some of the less expensive "builder grade" openers just have a doorbell button. For the openers that have a wall control station there are usually three different function buttons: Open/Close button, Light button, and Vacation button (or lockout switch). It it not a feature that is used by many people (at least on purpose). Usually someone will press the Vacation button by accident and when they (or their spouse or children) come home....their remote won't work. When the Vacation button is engaged it will "lock out" all of the remotes and even the wireless keyless entry on some model of openers. To get the remotes to work again just disengage the Vacation switch. All the remotes should work again.

There could be other reasons that the remotes stopped working but these are two things to check before you make an appointment for a service call.