A Power Surge Can Damage Your Garage Door Opener
You've likely heard how damaging power surges can be to electronics and appliances. Did you know that power surges can damage garage door openers as well? Power surges can damage anything that is electrical and plugged in or connected to the electrical circuitry of a home or building. Here are ways your home can have power surges, several signs that your home's garage door opener has been damaged by a power surge, and what to do about it.
Where Power Surges Come From
Although they are rare, lightning strikes are known to cause power surges. However, there are several other things that can cause power surges, and they can come from an outside source or from inside your home, such as:
- a tree touches a power line
- your electric company switches to a new distribution system
- a faulty appliance motor kicks on or off
A sudden surge of electricity to electronics and appliances can cause the wires and components in them to fail and malfunction. This is why it's recommended to unplug electronics and appliances when there is a power outage, including the garage door opener, so they are not damaged when the electricity is restored.
Signs Your Garage Door Opener Was Damaged
If your garage door opener has wires or components that are damaged due to a power surge, it would be considered as having a short in the circuitry. A short can cause the opener to open and close intermittently on its own. The keypad and/or remotes may no longer work. The optical light of the hazard sensor may no longer work. If your garage door opening system has any of these or other problems, hire a residential garage door repair service.
If it is damaged you'll still be able to get your vehicle in and out of the garage. Just pull on the red release cord that hangs from the opener and it will disconnect your door from the opener. Then, manually lift and lower your garage door as necessary.
Install a Surge Protection Device
Have a power surge protection device installed. Of course, this can be more challenging to do for your garage door opener since it's overhead and may be hardwired into your home's electric circuitry. You can install one to protect your entire home from external power surges or an individual one just to protect the garage door opener. If you choose a whole-house device, hire an electrician to install it. If you prefer one at the garage door, ask your residential garage door repair service to install one for you.