Electronics

[jellyBEAN]

Has anyone experienced their auto garage door opener operating all by itself?  2 weeks ago I heard my garage door lift up and then seconds later it closed itself.  It began to repeat this all afternoon so I called a Tech.

He came and replaced my wall button opener w/a wireless one.  He said sometimes an electrical surge will cause a malfunction.  Well the wireless didn't solve the problem. 

I then read on-line about changing the batteries in your remotes, so I changed my batteries and this seemed to help for a day or two, but then it started operating by itself again.  So I reprogrammed the remotes w/the Learn Button up on the motor at the ceiling.  Again, this seemed to help, but days later, started to malfunction again.

Tech came back and took off the wireless wall button he had put up before, and put in another wired wall button.  Again, this worked fine for several days, but last night at 3 AM in the pouring rain, up the door went again.  And then it did it again at 8AM - it goes all the way up, stays up for a couple minutes, and then closes.  The light on the overhead motor unit blinks continuously when it is doing this.  And then that shuts down.

So now I have it unplugged (which is a real pain - ladders, etc...) and called the Tech again.  So unsettling not being sure you can even leave the house for fear of this happening.  Anyone experienced this and what was your outcome?  The unit is only 4 years old.

[SXMGirl]

@jellyBEAN  We have a power switch for our garage door opener, which is something that you might want to look into getting.

[hckynut]

@jellyBEAN 

The only time I have had a problem similar to this, the cause was me unknowingly, knocking 1 of the light sensors, that activate the door, out of alignment. Lined it back up and it ended the problem. 

hckynut 🏒

[jellyBEAN]

The sensors at the bottom of the garage door are in alignment.  Lights are on.  The Tech checked those.  His next step is to replace the logic board in the overhead motor. 

I live in a relatively humd environment but still you would think this type of thing would last more than a few years.  My whole reasoning for buying a new home was to avoid these type of aggravations for 5-10 years.  Has not been the case.

I just feel unsure now when I have to leave the house.

[sunshine45]

do you have neighbors who live close by?

i wonder if one of your neighbors had a new system installed and it is picking up your frequency also?

did the tech change code on your remotes?

[Rose429]

@jellyBEAN @Yes, I have had a technician out 3 times. Finally thought it was good and it opens by itself again!!! So frustrating because my dogs go through the garage to get to the dog run. I cannot have them running loose so I am manually opening it. 

[NickNack]

---

@Rose429 wrote:

@jellyBEAN @Yes, I have had a technician out 3 times. Finally thought it was good and it opens by itself again!!! So frustrating because my dogs go through the garage to get to the dog run. I cannot have them running loose so I am manually opening it. 

---

@Rose429   I read that you've had a technician out three times.  Are you sure he changed the frequency code on your remote?  The only time this has ever happened to me is when a neighbor had the same frequency on his remote.

[World Traveler]

Yes, I have. The man who repaired it said that if someone is walking/driving by and uses something on the same frequency, that can happen.

I don't know what he did to prevent that from happening, but he said he added something to the system, and it hasn't happened since. That was many years ago.

[Desertdi]

I had a branch of a shrub alongside the door that was interfering with the light beam (at the bottom of the door frame) that controls the opening and closing.   Trimmed the shrub back, and everything was fine.

[jellyBEAN]

@sunshine45  No, all the units here are relatively new and no one has installed any new garage door opener.  My garage door is the only one opening and closing at 3 AM and all day long, if I don't unplug it.  Why would it be fine for 4 or 5 days - no phantom operation - and then all of a sudden start up again at 3 in the morning?  It was pouring rain here at 3AM, and I'm in an older folks community - nobody is going anywhere at that hour, and my door is the only one open.

It's just another thing thats upsetting.  If worse comes to worse I'll have to attach some sort of extension on the handle that disconnects it, leave it unplugged, and just use it manually all the time.  So much for having a new home.  Makes me sad.