Your garage door opener should last you at least 10 to 15 years, so long as you take good care of it. However, there are some circumstances in which it does make sense to replace it, even if it’s working well for you. Here are just a few examples of some of the reasons why you might consider replacing your garage door opener as part of your ongoing garage door maintenance in Phoenix, AZ.
Safety reversing functionality
Today’s garage door openers are required to have safety reversal mechanisms. There are two sensors located about six inches off the floor on either side of the garage door, and any time an object goes through the beam of light that passes between those sensors, the door will immediately stop and reverse its direction. If there is no safety reversal feature on your garage door opener (or there is, but it no longer works), then it’s a good idea for safety purposes to replace that garage door opener.
Security
Older models of garage door openers are often more vulnerable. There are ways for people to access fixed codes for those devices, which can allow them to get inside your garage. Today’s garage door openers have rolling codes, which means every time the unit is used, the code will be changed, which offers you much greater security.
Battery backup
Older garage door openers would often be put out of service during a power outage, which made matters difficult if you needed to get your vehicle in and out of your garage. Today’s garage door openers are available with battery backup features, which will go to work if you lose power to your home. This means power outages no longer need to prevent you from coming and going as you please.
Quieter function
Older garage door openers tend to rattle and bang while they’re in operation. New openers are almost certainly going to be quieter for you, especially if they’re not using a chain drive. Screw drives and belt drives are both much quieter than those old chain drive systems. The belt drives in particular are very quiet. Now you won’t have to worry about waking up the neighbors or people in your home with your early comings and goings, which is especially beneficial if you have an attached garage that is located close to bedrooms.
Keypad entry
Older garage door systems often do not have keypads mounted on the garage that allow you to punch in a code to open up the garage door. Having a keypad means you won’t need to have a key on hand to get inside. This is very handy, especially if you want to cut down on the number of keys you need to keep track of. There are even keypads that use fingerprint detection instead of numerical codes, which is even more secure.
For more information about the various reasons to consider replacing your garage door opener, or to schedule garage door maintenance in Phoenix, AZ, reach out to Affordable Garage Doors today.
