Garage door opener age: how to tell when your opener is about to age out

Generally speaking, an electric garage door opener should last between 10 to 15 years. Of course, you can upgrade before it ages out if you prefer. There are plenty of new technological capabilities that have come to the market in the last few years that you might want to take advantage of.

There have also been some changes to government regulations and rules that might make upgrading necessary. For instance, after the devastating 2017 wildfires and 2018’s disasters, the governor of California signed a bill that requires all residential garage door openers to have a battery backup.

You’ll also find that some of the newer garage door openers have a longer lifespan – LiftMaster’s Elite Series, for instance – while budget options have shorter lifespans.

Whatever the case, your garage door opener will eventually need to be replaced, whether because of new rules, because you want to take advantage of new technology, or because your old one was a budget model. However, there are many factors that go into determining how long it will actually last you. In this guide, we will look at some of the factors that affect garage door opener longevity and functionality.

Physical Age

One of the most challenging things to discover is how old your garage door opener is physically. Chances are good that if you did not have the opener installed yourself, it was there when you bought the house. If you didn’t buy it brand new, then you probably have no idea when it was purchased and installed. Thankfully, there are two ways you can find out.

1. The first thing to check is whether or not the garage door opener has an automatic photoelectric reverse system. Check the door opening for two sensors, one on each side. They’ll be installed about four to six inches (10 to 15 cm) from the floor. If there are none, then the system was manufactured before 1993.
2. On the other hand, you can grab a ladder and get a closer look at the motor housing. Find the model number and serial number, and the date of manufacture should be there, as well.

Is your garage door opener older than 10 or 15 years? If so, it’s time to upgrade even if yours is still working. Remember that the more frequently you use your garage door opener, the more wear and tear it will sustain and the faster it will fail.

The longer you put off digging into what’s causing those strange noises during operation, the more dangerous it is to use the door opener. Grinding, groaning, and scraping sounds all indicate a malfunction and, very likely, significant damage to the system. You also need to consider how often maintenance has been performed, as this will have a major impact on its lifespan.

Think that 10 to 15 years isn’t very long for a garage door opener to last? Compare that to the lifespan of your torsion or extension spring system – it acts as a counterweight to the garage door and lasts between five and seven years. Not sure if your garage door’s springs have been replaced in that period? One of our garage door specialists can inspect your entire system and give you an unbiased, professional opinion on efficiency and safety.

Additional Reasons to Consider Replacing Your Garage Door Opener

Physical age is just one of the reasons that you might want to replace your garage door opener. There are plenty of others and we’ll run through them below.

• The Manufacturer Is Out of Business: Take a quick look online and see if you can find your garage door opener’s manufacturer. Are they still in business? If not, you have little in the way of support. This is why we recommend LiftMaster/Chamberlain garage door openers. The company has been around since 1954 and remains an industry leader.

• Improve Safety: As your garage door opener, springs, and associated equipment age, they become less and less safe. Accidents and injuries become more and more likely. If you own a garage door opener system that was manufactured before 1993, it’s actually highly likely that a family member or pet will be injured because the door does not have an automatic reverse system. By law, today’s garage door systems have two safety solutions designed to help prevent crushing accidents.

• Theft Prevention: Automatic garage door openers are convenience, certainly, but they can also be weak points in your home’s security. Before 1993, they were programmed using dip switches that were set to -, +, or 0. These codes were very easy to steal. Between 1993 and 1995, LiftMaster/Chamberlain introduced a new solution called Security that offered millions of code possibilities and limited the opportunities for thieves to steal your access code. That was upgraded to Security+ in 1996, with billions of potential codes. Upgrading to a new garage door opener can dramatically improve your home’s security.

• Noise Reduction: As garage door openers and their associated components age, they can begin to make a lot of strange noises. Not to mention the fact that older systems were not particularly quiet in the first place. All that noise can be a nuisance. Today’s systems use rubber belts with metal reinforcement to reduce noise. You’ll also find new opener types, called Jackshaft door openers, that are much quieter, as well.

• Simplification: Finally, you might just want to make your life a little simpler and easier. Back in 2013, LiftMaster/Chamberlain introduced the MyQ system. This allows you to connect your garage door opener to your home’s Wi-Fi system and even use your smartphone to open and close the garage door from anywhere that you have cell signal. Not sure you closed the door? Check the app. Need to open the door for someone? Use the app. You can even set a timer so that your door will open and close at specific times of day.

Make the Switch

For residents in or around Kingston or Belleville, making the switch to a new garage door opener is simple. Just contact us. We will be happy to explain the full line of LiftMaster door openers, including both belt and chain driven models, and we can offer professional installation in your home. We help you take full advantage of modern technology, such as Wi-Fi connectivity, battery backup, and more.

If you’d prefer, we can send you an email quote instead. You’re also welcome to visit our showroom in person, or you can peruse our Design Centre and our image gallery to see the possibilities available to you with a new garage door and even preview what one would look like on your home.