The garage door opener is one of the most used items in your home. It’s also one of the most overlooked when it comes to maintenance and safety. But if you start seeing warning signs that your opener needs to be replaced, then take note before it becomes a serious issue for everyone living in or around your home. Here are six warning signs that could indicate you need a new garage door opener now.
1. The Garage Door Opener Is Loud
Sound is a good indicator of garage door opener age. If your door is opening and closing loudly, it could be an indication that its days are numbered. Additionally, if the sound coming from the opener changes noticeably when you open or close the door, that’s another sign that something might be wrong with it.
2. The Garage Door Opener Isn’t Opening or Closing the Door Properly
If your garage door opener seems to be struggling more than usual, maybe taking longer to do its job or having trouble closing the door completely, it might be time to replace it.
3. The Garage Door Opener Is Frequently Unresponsive
If your garage door opener isn’t responding to the remote or wall switch, that might indicate something is wrong with it. If you feel like you have to try several times to get it working, then it’s possible that it needs to be replaced.
4. The Garage Door Opener Stops Working Completely
When your garage door opener stops working completely, it tends to happen suddenly and without warning. To avoid serious injury to yourself or family members, don’t attempt to manually open the door. Always call a professional to take care of it.
5. The Garage Door Opener Doesn’t Work with Any of Your Remotes
This is another symptom that tends to come on suddenly and without warning. It could indicate that your garage door opener needs to be repaired or replaced, although sometimes it can be resolved by replacing the batteries in your opener or the remotes.
6. The Garage Door Opener Is Older Than 15 Years, Especially If It Has Seen Frequent Use
Like any machine, garage door openers have a limited lifespan. The average opener can work for around 15 years before they need to be replaced. However, if yours is older than that or has been used very frequently in the past, it might be nearing the end of its life and need to be replaced soon.
According to Precision, a garage door will open and close about 3 to 5 times every day. That is about 1500 times every year. The average life of a garage door opener is 15 years. If you are experiencing any of these warning signs, it may be time to schedule an inspection by your local garage door repair specialist. Call us today to schedule an inspection or replacement.