Garage Door Opener Replacement is a Valuable Home Improvement Project Plan

• Always make sure the power to the door opener is disconnected.


• Just unplug the unit from the electrical outlet usually
  located nearby in the ceiling.

Tools Required for Replacing Garage Door Opener

Instructions for Replacing Garage Door Opener

1. If you'll approach installing a replacement garage door opener for your home knowing it will take some patience, then you CAN do it within a few hours after reading this.


2. If you already have an opener installed in your garage and you want to replace it, then take all components down and discard all of them. Yes, you need to toss out the old switches, remotes and even the wiring (unless it is above the drywall of the garage).
   
   Your new garage door opener, with few exceptions, will come with all new parts including wall switch, 2 remotes, new wire, electronic eyes and possibly even an exterior mounted switch with buttons where you can enter a private code and open and close the garage door. This is an excellent feature for your kids when they come home from school and need to gain access to the house.
   
   Today's latest models frequently are built with electronic coding that changes the code sent from your remote to the door opener unit in the garage each time you use the unit.


3. Next, unpack all the parts being sure that all parts are present in the box. Separate the different packages of hardware and READ the instructions. They will save you time in the long run.


4. One of the first things you'll need to do is to assemble the track. It usually comes in three sections. It's easy to assemble and hook to the front of the opener. Follow your specific directions.


5. More than likely, the next thing you'll be ask to do, when reading your instructions is to mount the door opener to the ceiling of your garage. This is where the 7 foot step ladder will aid in this procedure. Use it to hold the opener in the approximate place while designing the anchoring that is needed.
   
   
   
   It is sometimes possible at this point to include a simple rubber mechanism between the mounting hardware and the drywall. If properly done, this will greatly reduce vibration.



6. Connect the "door end" of the opener to the door header (usually 2 x 12 or something similar) that is above the entire length of the garage door. Lag bolts are commonly used to accomplish this. Right about now you should have already installed the chain or the belt that moves when the door opener motor turns a sprocket on top.


7. You're closing in on the end of this project. All the hard work is already done, so relax. It's time to run the wire (if it isn't already in place) from the opener to the interior switch. Some of the latest switches use radio signals so this step may be excluded. Consult those dreadful instructions to make sure. The following image shows a typical wiring diagram.




8. Follow the instructions regarding the exterior switch and hook it up using the small wire supplied in the opener package.


9. In your hardware that came with the door opener, are two electronic sensors that need to be installed near the bottom of the garage door adjacent to the garage door track. These two eyes will "look at" each other and send a message to the opener that it is safe to close the door. If something is within the invisible stream of light passing from one of these to the other, then the door will NOT close. These are used to keep injuries from happening when little kids or small pets are standing where the door will close.
   
   There is a simple wire that attaches from each eye and will need to be installed all the way to the opener.
   
   Follow specific instructions included on how high to mount and how to mount these safety devices. Do not discard them as the door opener will NOT work if these are not hooked up and aligned properly.
   
   Remember they are communicating with each other and the main unit for YOUR safety.


10. Finally, install batteries into each remote by following the instructions once again. Plug the unit into an outlet and test it several times.




11. It is quite common to have to adjust a new opener. This does not mean you did anything wrong. Some doors are heavier than others and some springs used to help open the garage door are stronger than others. Again follow the instructions closely and adjust the "down" or "up" tension and travel screws by turning them right or left 1/4 turn at a time until you get the door to stay shut or open all the way.


12. Be sure and measure the garage door opening after you install the new opener. It may not raise the garage door as high as it once was. This could be a problem if you need maximum clearance for a large vehicle. Again, however, a final adjustment will eliminate this delima.