Garage door remotes are convenient for someone who opens and closes their garage door multiple times daily. They free a person from exerting themselves unnecessarily to push the door up and down. You don’t have to waste time ensuring that the door is tightly locked. With one press of a button, you can go about your business without worrying about your garage’s security.
However, the truth is that most people do not have even the most basic knowledge regarding these remotes. If they did, they would be able to exploit the remote’s functionality to its maximum. They could also maximize the security offered by garage door remotes.
Therefore, having a thorough understanding of how these remotes work is essential. Although it may seem like a waste of time, it can help you in the long run. Keeping that in mind, we have compiled some crucial facts about garage door remotes that everyone should be aware of.
Let’s jump right into them:
Table of Contents
1. Leaving your remote lying around in your car visibly is a significant risk
It is common for people to place their remote on the sun visor of a car. However, if you are one of them, you should keep a check on your remote. Leaving your vehicle unattended with the remote visible can make it vulnerable to being stolen by thieves. A burglar can try (and perhaps even succeed) getting into your car to steal the remote.
Now, your entire house is prone to a robbery. Since they have your door remote, they can enter your home through the garage. You might not even be aware of your stolen remote and get robbed overnight!
Therefore, it is highly advised that you should not keep your remote on your sun visor. Instead, you should attach it to the keychain or the center console. This way, no one can see it, and your remote stays safe.
2. Remote frequency/signal jamming
An old and outdated motor can have various issues. One of them is the remote not working on it or sometimes working on its own without pressing any button. The most common cause is a wireless device operating on the same frequency as the remote and jamming the signals. It can become a real headache, as it is difficult to pinpoint the device without the right equipment.
These cross signals can cause your door to open randomly, posing a security threat to your house. Such an issue should be dealt with immediately to ensure no one has uninvited access to your home.
However, this matter is not unsolvable. You can prevent this from happening at all by changing your door’s motor to a new and modern one. These days, most companies have developed motors with rolling code technology. The motor changes its codes daily, and only your remote has the same codes. No other wireless device can gain access to these codes. Thus, you no longer have to worry about your door opening randomly at night.
Also, you can purchase standalone receivers now too. They change the frequency so that no device can connect to your door, intentionally or by accident.
3. Thieves being able to use your stolen remote even after you replace it
Buying a new remote when your previous one got stolen is not enough. You need to immediately call a local technician and get all remotes erased from your door’s logic board. The logic board is the motor’s memory.
This step is necessary because you may have bought a new remote, but the previous one is still programmed in the motor’s existing database. This means that the person who has your old remote can currently open your garage door even now. They will be able to as long as the remote isn’t erased from the logic board.
This matter is a big deal! Anyone with your old remote can access your garage and your house. Therefore, the moment you lose your remote, you should pick up that phone and call the local garage door company.
4. Minor garage door remote issues
There are some instances when you might have to buy a new garage door remote. However, there are times when you can perform simple troubleshooting steps to get the remote working again. These include:
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- Checking the opener battery in case they run out. This accounts for most of the instances when remotes stop functioning.
- Checking the contacts to ensure there is no dirt or debris.
- Checking the transmitter and receiver by checking the path and inspecting the antenna.
- Check if you need a reset.
Bottom Line
Garage door remotes may be an important asset in our daily routine, but they must also be carefully taken care of. Read the article to learn exciting and crucial facts about garage door remotes.
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