From allowing family members to stay dry from the rain to providing easy access to vehicles, electric garage door openers can be seen as great time savers.  Remotely operated doors are usually very reliable but what happens when they don't open? Too often a family has been prepared to leave, when the car has no way out due to a problem with the garage door remote.  Dead battery?  Fried computer chip?  Code got reset? 

Troubleshooting is not an option when the children need to be at school or when an important business meeting is waiting. Of course, each door opener is equipped with a manual release, but if you happen to have a detached garage without easy access through a regular walk-in door, the release handle does little good.

If the transmitter or receiver has gone bad, rather than replace the entire garage door opener, it is much less expensive to order a new remote control and receiver. The new receiver has a couple of wires that simply attach to the same connections as the wall button, and when it senses the signal from the remote control, it acts as a switch to open the door. Buying a new receiver and remote can costs as little as $40 compared to hundreds for a new garage door opener.

Planning ahead is not only important when choosing a professional, it is also important from a maintenance standpoint. When a garage door or opener is installed, a professional makes sure that the door and opener are installed correctly, but over time, wear and tear from normal use makes it necessary to adjust the springs and track for the door's travel. These adjustments should never be done by an unqualified person. The same company that performed the installation can be relied upon for routine maintenance checks. Proper routine tune-ups and inspections decrease the possibility of an emergency or injury. Motors, springs and electrical aspects are all checked to keep the garage door running as smooth as possible. Rollers, tracks and cables are also inspected to be sure safety is at a maximum.