How to Reset Your Electric Garage Door Opener Safely

Resetting your electric garage door opener can fix or resolve many common problems and confirm they are working well, rather than calling in a professional to fix problems right away. This guide will provide you a step by step guide to be able to reset a standard garage door opener. We will look at when resets may be necessary (power outages, sensors etc.) and signals for when your opener may need to be reset and some common signs that a reset may be in order. Most importantly what every homeowner should always be mindful of regarding safety. We will also present you with information about why OC Garage Door Guys is a well-known leader in garage door opener repair/maintenance safety, professionalism, and expertise.

When and Why a Reset May Be Necessary

Before we get into the reset procedure you should know when you may need to reset your garage door opener (otherwise called the motor). Many recent models of garage door openers have electronic controls and sensors; this is why it's common that they have an issue that causes the units to go out of sync. We will now briefly look at common things and notices indicating that your unit may need to be reset:

• Remote Issues - This is always a common area to check for resets. If the remote for your garage door is NOT working saying when you press buttons (even after battery replacement), you likely lost synchronization to the opener. To fix your communication issue you may just need to reset and reprogram the remote. Also, if you have your lost remote recently, or bought a new remote to the opener, the reset would clear the codes from previous installation, and you can reprogram it.

• After a power outage or surge - Power outages and surges can sometimes throw off the memory or pre-settings of the unit.After power outages, the opener can sometimes “forget” the code for the remote and also the door’s open and close travel limits. If you find that you have lost the remote or that the door is not closing all the way after a power outage, a simple reset will probably solve the issue.

• Door Only Moves Part Way or Reverses- If the garage door will only stop partway open, or is reversing back up immediately after you try to close it, the settings could be out of whack, or the safety sensors may be engaged. This can occur when the travel limits have been improperly set or when something is engaging the safety sensors. These are all things that give a clue that there is something wrong with the settings for your opener - a reset can often clear these problems. (Always make sure the door is not physically blocked or obstructed in passages, and be sure that the safety sensors, if equipped, are clean and aligned. Misaligned sensors cause the door to reverse and the opener light to blink.)

• Random or Erratic Operation- If your garage door opens and closes on its own, not only can this be frustrating, but it could also be dangerous. It is somewhat uncommon, but it can happen. This mostly comes from something such as radio frequency interference, or a toy (emergency) transmitter has stuck. A reset is a good way to clear interference from the opener by changing frequencies/channels to stop the random operation.

• Wall Console or Keypad Problems- If the wall console button mounted on the wall inside the garage is not working, and the remote still works, or if your wireless keypad is not working or you've forgotten the code, you have reset to do.You may need to reset and reprogram the keypad code to regain access. (As a general rule of thumb ensure that you always check the absolute simplest of causes first, such as a lock feature on the wall console, or completely fresh batteries in the keypad, before resetting the device.)

• New Home or Security Concern- If you have moved into a new house, it is a good idea to reset the garage door opener, if only to clear any remote codes from potential previous owners – you never know who had a remote and what they might be using it for. Conversely, and likely more commonly, if you have lost or suspect unauthorized access to the remote, resetting the opener and remotes together, will ensure the garage door is being operated solely from your remotes.

A reset is probably a good idea anytime you experience errant behavior from your garage door opener, loses connection with its remote or keypad, or any unusual circumstance, like a power outage or new ownership. If the opener is entirely unresponsive, (no lights or buzzing sound), it’s possible that there is an electrical issue (such as blown fuse, bad circuit board, etc.) that will need to professionally repaired – a reset likely won't fix that.

Safety Comes First: Take Some Safety Precautions Before Resetting

Working with a garage door opener is working with equipment that exerts significant weight and electricity, and as such safety is number one. Before starting any resetting, or troubleshooting process, make sure to take the following precautions:

• Disconnect Power: Not perhaps the appropriate protocol, but you MUST remember to turn the power to the garage door opener off before you make any kind of alterations. You will need to unplug the powercord of the opener from the ceiling outlet, or you can simply shut off the circuit breaker that controls the power to the garage door opener. This is important because you may inadvertently activate the door while you are working on it and get hurt.This is a straightforward but key way to prevent accidents.

• Make Sure the Door is Closed: Make sure your garage door is fully closed (down position) before you begin. Once it is fully down, it cannot fall and is easier to realign. You cannot reset or adjust the opener once the door is open or moving.

• Clear the Work Area & Position a Ladder: Before working, make sure underneath and around the opener motor unit is clear. Move any vehicles/tools/bicycles that will interfere with the ladder or your tripping. Use a sturdy and reliable step ladder to reach the opener while being positioned on a flat and solid surface. If possible, have someone spot you (to hold the ladder) while you are working at the ceiling height. Do not over-reach, climb down, and then position the ladder to get to the other side of the opener and continue working. Good ladder safety will help prevent a fall.

• Disable the Door (Optional, extra safety): For added safety, you can pull the emergency release cord (the red cord hanging from the trolley of the opener) to disconnect the door from the opener carriage. This guarantees the door will not move, even if the opener were to be accidentally powered on or displayed a false action. Of note, you will need to reconnect the trolley after disabling the opener so it will lift the door again (most often by rolling or sliding the door on the track until the connection is made).

• ***Wear Protection:*** You should consider wearing safety glasses and work gloves when working on the opener. This protects your eyes from dust or debris and your hands from the opener itself and sharp edges created by the opener, its mounting to the ceiling, or other structural fixtures. Opener parts have many pinch points, so be cautious. Keep fingers away from driving gears or sprockets (depending on your type of opener). By taking these steps, you are making a safe workspace to reset your opener. Never rush through your safety steps, even though a reset process only takes a fraction of time. An overabundance of caution will reduce likelihood of injury and property loss.

Step-by-Step: How to Reset an Electric Garage Door Opener

After you followed the safety steps above, you are now prepared to reset your garage door opener. The specifics of the reset method will differ by model and manufacturer of the garage door opener so if you have access to an owner’s manual, it is best to have that available. However, for most models and manufacturers the method is relatively similar for most newer garage door openers. Below are the usual steps to reset a garage door opener so the garage door can operate properly again:

1. Reconnect Power and Locate Reset/Learn Button: After having performed your safety prep, plug the opener back in or you can turn the breaker back on. The opener must have power before proceeding with the reset process. Once you reconnect power to the opener, locate the “Learn” button or the reset button on the motor unit of your garage door opener. This is usually a very small (and can be square or round) button on the motor housing typically situated on the held side or back of the motor unit. It could be either below a light cover or hanging antenna wire. You may see it referred to as a Learn, Set, or Prog button and may be colored (red, orange, yellow, purple, rights or even scheme depending on the model) - get on the ladder and get to a point from which you can see clearly! (NOTE: You may not have a learn button as your older opener may have DIP switches. In that case, you will follow the instructions in your manual to match DIP switch positions on the remote and opener).

   
   

2. Do a Power Cycle (if required): Sometimes, if the opener has had erratic performance, you can fix its minor glitches with a simple power cycle reset. You might have already done this by unplugging the unit before, etc. If you have not, do that now – disconnect the power for ~30 seconds, and plug it back in – this will erase the short-term memory of the opener. Once power is restored, observe and listen to the opener as it powers up. You may hear some clicking or you may notice the LED indicator come on and off, etc. Using the wall button, quickly test the opener, and see if the basic power cycle resolved the error. If the door does not perform normally, move on to a complete reset below.

3. Press the Learn/Reset Button to Erase Old Codes: If you like, you can fully reset the opener's programming by pressing and holding the Learn button for approximately 5–6 seconds (depends on the model some ask for ~10 seconds). In general, you will see an LED indicator light up on the opener once you hold the Learn button and, and it will shut off on its own or you may see its color change.Release the button at that point. This procedure erases all remote controls and keypads from the opener's memory (clearing codes and passwords that were previously saved). The opener has now effectively reset and there are no devices programmed into it at the moment. (Note: on some openers, you may see a flash from the light or may hear a click when it clears the memory. If doubtful, the universal solution is to hold the learn button down for 6-10 seconds in order to wipe the codes.)

4. Reprogram the Remote Controls. Now that the opener's memory has been reset, reprogram your remote(s) so it can communicate with the opener again. Stay on the ladder, since you will utilize the Learn button in order to reprogram. In general, here are the steps to add a remote:

o Press and release the Learn button once (this time don't hold it). You should see an LED light on the opener turn on (and possibly continue to light solid or blink depending on model), indicating the unit is in learning mode and able to accept a remote signal.

o You have 30 seconds from pressing the Learn Button to press and hold the main button on your remote transmitter (which you use to open the door) for a couple of seconds. Depending on the model, you may need to press this button up to 2 times. The opener should respond by flashing its lights and/or clicking to indicate that it learned the remote's code.

o Test the remote: Press the remote button to see if it operates the door!If the door is operational, you have reconnected the remote correctly. If it is still not working, repeat the above steps, making sure you are pressing the remote within the timeframe.

o You may also add several remotes in the same fashion. Most openers have a capacity for several remotes (typically, 2-4 remotes depending on the opener model). Don't forget to re-program any wireless keypads at this point in the process (see next step).

5. To Re-Program the Keypad (if applicable): If your garage door opener has an exterior wireless keypad for entry, you will need to reset and re-program that keypad and its PIN after the full reset since the opener has forgotten all codes. The steps below will most likely vary by brand of keypad, but generally:
   

o Re-enter the opener to "Learn mode" by pressing the Learn button (this step is similar to adding a remote).

o Within 30 seconds from putting the opener into Learn mode, go to your outside keypad and enter a new 4-digit PIN of your choosing, then press the Enter (or Send) key. Some systems ask you to enter your old PIN first (if you remember it), followed by your new PIN, followed by entering your new PIN one more time, or some other sequence - check your manual for details. In many systems, though, if you hit Learn and then enter your new code, it will set your new code.

o Watch for the opener lights to blink or listen for a click to indicate the new PIN has been accepted. Test the keypad by closing the garage door, then entering your new code, and see if it opens the door.If it does not function after completing step five, you will have to perform the procedure again, ensuring to wait long enough in between. (Tip: Choose a PIN that family can remember easily but that would be difficult for others to guess, such as not using an obvious code such as your address or "1234".)

6. Examine the Safety Sensors: After any reset, or repair, you will want to ensure that the safety reversing sensors located at the bottom of your garage door tracks are properly aligned and operational. These photo-eye safety sensors typically are located 4 - 6 inches from the garage floor on each side of your garage door. These sensors detect any obstacle in the garage door's way upon closing to stop the door from closing on a person or object. To check and ensure proper functioning, do the following:

   
   

o Check the sensor lights: There is an indicator LED light on each sensor (typically one sensor has a green light, and the other has an amber or red light). For the sensors to operate correctly, both sensors light up solid when they are aligned. If either, or both, of the LEDs is off, or blinking, you have misaligned, or dirty sensors.

o Realign if needed: If the sensor lights are not solid, you can gently move the position of the misaligned sensor by loosening the wing nut, and swivel the sensor in the appropriate direction until the LED glows solid continuously (if possible, have someone observe the LEDs). Often, the sensors take very little movement so that the two eyes face each other directly. Once the blink is solid and continuous, you will want to tighten the wing nut.

o Clear any obstructions: Dust, spider webs, and or objects that are near the sensors will interfere with the beam.Using a soft cloth, wipe down the sensor lenses and ensure that the path is not blocked by anything (e.g., the trash can, tire on the bike).

o Reconnect power (if you had unplugged the opener when adjusting your sensors): Now that you have adjusted all your sensors, the opener should have power to do the necessary verification of the sensor light indications. Ensure the opener is plugged in and receiving power after any adjustments you made.

7. Test the Opener and Safety Features: With all your adjustments made, and having reprogrammed any devices that required it, you are ready to do a complete system test reproducible by you:

   
   

o Operate the door using both the wall control and remotes: Open and close your door first using the wall button in the inside of the garage, and then use each remote control to ensure all three devices function correctly. The door should travel smoothly without jerking or stopping. As you test the operation with the controls, be alerted for any grinding or scraping noises that might indicate a potential mechanical problem.

o Test the auto-reverse safety features: Open the garage door, and then using the remote or wall button, close the garage door. While the door is going down, wave any object (like a broomstick) in front of the sensors to break the infrared beam. The door should stop and reverse back open once the sensor beam is interrupted. The next test is to test the contact reversal. Place a stout object, like a piece of 2×4 lumber, flat on the garage floor in the path of the door and then close the door.Once the door hits the object, it should automatically reverse off of it. If the door does not reverse in either of the tests, do not operate the opener- check the alignment of the sensors again and check to see if the opener’s force settings are set correctly, or contact a professional to service it.

o Re-engage the emergency release (if used): If you pulled the manual release cord previously, now we need to re-connect the door to the opener. This is usually done by putting the carriage slide (trolley) in the position near the door, and either engaging the opener to move until it re-captures, or manually sliding the door along the track until it clicks the lever back into the carriage. Once re-attached, the opener should lift the door again.

After these steps, your garage door opener should be fully reset and ready to operate normally. In many cases, resets such as these will solve problems such as non-responsive remotes, doors that reverse unexpectedly, or have mellowed deprecated behavior. Always observe the door a few times and ensure everything checks out for safe operation.

When To Call A Professional

While a basic reset will resolve a lot of most minor issues, there are times that a garage door opener problem will exceed what a homeowner should address. Call a Professional Garage Door Technician if you find yourselves experiencing any of the following;

• The door will still not open or close after a reset, or will not behave normally (indicating possible circuit board failure, burnt out motor, or some other hardware problem).

• Upon your inspection, you find broken springs, frayed cables, or bent tracks- repairs to these components are dangerous without formal training and tools as high tension springs can cause injury.

• The opener or door still seems to be struggling or making loud noises (grinding gears or warning smell)- the motor or gear mechanism may be in the process of failing.

• Any time there is uncertainty or discomfort in performing a repair. Garage doors can be dangerous if something goes wrong and it is always better to be safe and get a professional.

Also keep in mind garage door openers should have regular maintenance (lubricating the drive screw or chain, tightening hardware, etc.). If abode resets seems to be needed frequently, then it may indicate a more complex problem requiring a professional. If you have a problem, please do not hesitate getting a professional who can diagnose your problem, repair it, and keep your garage door system safe.

Trust the Experts: OC Garage Door Guys are Here to Help

When it comes to your garage door, were you in a position where a reset was not enough to solve the issue or simply you'd like assurance through the professionals, OC Garage Door Guys are here for you. OC Garage Door Guys has become one of the most trusted garage door service companies and we are proud of our reputation for safety, professionalism, and knowing everything there is to know about garage door opener repair & maintenance. With over 15 years in the field installing and repairing automatic openers, OC Garage Door Guys has seen it all and can quickly diagnose and fix even the most stubborn garage door issues.

Safety First: Safety is a big deal to us, and for good reason. We will always strict on safety every job we perform. Our technicians carefully handle all garage door components and strictly comply with the manufactures specifications when performing repairs and resets to ensure zero risk to you and your property. When adjusting a garage door safety sensors alignment or adjusting the tracks and springs in a garage door, we will look at the process with safety as our number one concern before correcting anything.

Professionalism: When you call OC Garage Door Guys you will always be treated promptly and courteously. We understand that no garage door going awry can throw your day completely off, that is why we provide appointments 24/7 including emergency support for you. Our technicians are equipped with the right tools and promptly ready to resolve your garage door problems. Our technicians will always clearly explain what the issue is, provide you with an honest resolution and progress reports, and treat you and your home with respect — that is the professionalism we stand behind and our customers have come to expect.

Expertise: Your garage door opener systems are always evolving, our experts are educated about every latest model or the latest features about every opener we service. Whether it is a simple mechanical repair or the installation or troubleshooting of a smart opener system, our experts have the education and expertise to maintain your garage door opener. We service all major brands and models of garage door openers and doors, generally trust our expertise means that we do not just fix and walk away, we check everything properly so that you do not have future issue and your garage door remains running safe and dependable.

OC Garage Door Guys are here to help you with up to 15 years extensive experience while guaranteeing safety and customer satisfaction. If your garage door opener is clearly failing or you would like to ensure your garage door opener is well maintained so it will last you for years to come, let our team make that a reality. You can trust us to do the work efficiently, correctly and carefully. Your garage door is the main entry point to your home; trust the experts to keep it as safe and reliable!