What’s the Frequency?

We’ve all been there. You’re in your car ready to head out, BUT your garage door won’t open! The keypads and remotes aren’t working either and it’s panic time! You call a local professional (Garage Doors Unlimited!) and need a service team out there ASAP.

BEFORE you start calling up a garage door professional to come fix your issue consider a few things that might be causing the problem.

  1. Batteries! AS crazy as it may sound, sometimes double checking the batteries on the remote can be just the ticket! It’s a good first step to check.
  2. Your Location: Do you live near airports, or a navy pier? San Diego is a military town and folks living near the navy pier have definitely experienced this issue before. When the naval ships dock, their radio frequencies interrupt your garage motor and disrupt the signal. The motor can only handle one signal at a time, creating a temporary block on your remotes and keypads. Airports have the same issue as planes using radio frequencies for communication end up blocking the signal.
  3. Appliances near the motor: Our garages have become a storage shed for a lot of people and those appliances within 10-15 ft. of the motor can definitely cause an interference with the way your motor is working. A good starting point is to unplug any unnecessary electronics to close to the motor and do your best to use a surge protector for the ones you need to operate.
  4. Update your remotes: Newer models of remotes operate on a much smaller band that can make it’s way around the RFI (Radio Frequency interference)
  5. Don’t cut IT! The chord hanging off your motor is not just there for to confuse you, it’s actually the antenna that is tied to the radio receiver inside your motor. Some folks have snipped this off and wonder why there is no connectivity between the motor and your door. Keep this little guy around because his job is important!

After you’ve checked all your batteries, considered your location and made sure you’ve restarted or turned off your appliances, and your door still won’t open…. GDU will be there!

We hope our tips help get you through your busy life and out the door enjoying your day!