Power outages are part of life in Houston. Between lightning, heavy rain, and heat-related surges, we see at least a few openers every week that stop working right after the lights come back on.
What Are Signs Of a Fried Garage Door Opener?
When your opener suddenly goes silent, here’s how to figure out what’s wrong.
Check if the Opener Was Manually Disengaged
During a power outage, someone might have pulled the red emergency release cord to open the door by hand. That’s totally fine-but when the power comes back, you need to re-engage it. Make sure the door is fully down, then pull the red cord toward the opener motor. Hit your wall button once. The trolley should click back into place and reconnect the opener to the door.
Check the Power Source and GFCI
Many newer homes in Houston have the opener plugged into a GFCI outlet, which is the one with the little reset button. A lightning surge or water in an outdoor outlet can trip it. Press the “Reset” button on the outlet, and if nothing changes, check your home’s breaker box. You can also plug a small lamp into the opener’s outlet to confirm it has power. If there’s still no juice, call a professional. The circuit may be shorted or the board inside the opener could be fried.
Check for a Burned Control Board
If your opener has power but acts dead-no light, no click, no sound-you may have a blown circuit board. Common signs include a faint burnt smell from the unit, an opener light that stays off even though the outlet has power, and total silence when pressing any buttons. At that point, you’ll need a replacement board or a new opener. The surge likely cooked the electronics.
Try a Simple Reset
Sometimes a quick reset fixes the problem. Unplug the opener for 30 seconds, plug it back in, and press the wall button. If that fails, reprogram your remote by holding the “Learn” button until the light blinks, then pressing your remote once. If it still refuses to respond, it’s time for a professional inspection.
Use a Surge Protector
In Houston’s storm season, a $15 surge protector can save a $400 opener. Always plug your opener into one-it’s cheap insurance that protects your system from lightning and power spikes.