While every home has a front door, homes with attached garages have become the preferred way for homeowners to enter the house after a long day at work. If you’re installing a garage door opener or have recently lost your door remote, you might think you’re out of luck. Thankfully, if you learn how to program a garage door opener, you can replace your old remote in a jiffy.
Here are the three steps in programming your opener.
1. Search For the Right Remote
While there are a few generic garage door remotes out there on the market, you should be using one built for your system. When you choose a garage door opener, make sure that it’s made for the made and the specific model of garage door that you have.
If you can’t find the right remote, you might need to contact the manufacturer of your opening for a matching one. It’s key that you find one that matches rather than struggling with one that might not.
Companies that sell openers can help you out, as can the staff at your local auto parts or hardware store.
2. Find Your Learn Button
If you get a new or a used garage door opener, programming it requires synchronizing it to your opener. If there is other information programmed into either device, they’ll struggle to communicate.
Every model varies but there is going to be something like a “program” or a “learn” button on each device.
Locate this button on each device. You might need to remove the light cover on your opener to get to your learn button. It could be marked with something other than these two terms but it’s meant to do the same work either way.
This button should be easy to find, as this is one of the most common issues with garage doors.
3. Now Program Them Both
Every system is a little different but most will require that you synchronize the buttons or put them into the same mode at the same time. If you have someone to help you, you can position them under the device while you work the remote.
You’ll need to press and hold the button on the opener until the indicator light blinks or you hear a sound. Then press the button on your remote to start the process of learning each others’ frequency.
Now test the device by pressing the door button to see if it works. You should be able to see results in a minute or less. If this takes longer, call the manufacturer of your door opener. Your remote might have been incorrectly marked as being compatible with your device.
Learning How To Program a Garage Door Opener is Easy
If you’re struggling with figuring out how to program a garage door opener, your best bet is to take a break and start from the beginning. It should be a fairly easy process but every system is a little bit different.
If you’re stuck, check out our guide for finding the perfect garage door repair specialists in your region.