Do you need to have a garage door opener with a backup battery? Is it even necessary, or does the battery that comes with the opener provide you with enough power? The truth is that you do need to have a backup battery, and it’s not only a good idea, but it is also now the law in some places. Keep reading to see why having a backup battery is essential.
Backup Batteries Required in California
In the state of California, it is now a requirement for all garage door openers that are sold or installed for residential properties to have a backup battery equipped. This is something that new home builders need to comply with in the state. It is not a matter of the state trying to have more control over the residents. Instead, it is a life-saving measure.
There have been several wildfires in California, and elsewhere, in recent years, and they have proven deadly. In some instances, people were trapped in their homes when the wildfires came, and they were unable to open their garage doors manually.
This is a risk that is not unique to California. Other parts of North America are in danger from wildfires, as well, and with the rising temperatures and reduced rainfall that many areas have experienced, it is getting worse. Even if you are not in California where it is required to have a backup battery, it is still a good idea.
You will likely find that the garage door opener manufacturers like LiftMaster and Chamberlain will soon be expanding their line and offering more options with backup batteries for customers.
Also, if you have a garage that does not have any access door other than the main garage door, a backup battery is a necessity. Otherwise, it will be next to impossible to get into the garage if there is a power outage.
Balance of the Garage Door
The garage door opener will replace the manual labor that it would typically take to lift the garage door. Regardless of whether the opener is doing the lifting or you are lifting by hand, it should be easy. The door needs to be correctly balanced, and when it is, it will feel like it only weighs around 10 lbs. (5 kg). However, if the door is not balanced, it will mean that you will need to have to lift the full weight of the door. For a single metal door that measures 9’x 7’, which will be about 125 lbs. and for a double door that measures 16’x 7’, it could weigh about 250 lbs. In some cases, the doors could weigh more than this.
As you can imagine, this is going to be more than many people will be able to lift manually. The spring system needs to be in good shape, and it needs to act as a proper counterbalance.
How do you know if your door is balanced right? Fortunately, it is quite easy to find out. All you need to do is disconnect the garage door opener and then try to lift the garage door manually. If it does not lift easily and if it feels like it weighs a lot, there is a problem. If that’s the case, you will want to contact us right away. We can come out and take care of the problem.
You will want to check to see if your garage door is balanced regularly. Ideally, you will be checking this about once every couple of months.
How Much Energy is in the Battery?
The backup battery used, depending on the model, will be in the housing of the motor or installed near it. Typically, these batteries will be able to store enough energy for about 20 cycles of opening and closing. The backup ensures that you can get out of or into your garage even when the power is out, and it provides that the photo-eye reversal system is operational.
Garage Door Opener Model Options
You will find a range of options available today for battery backup garage door openers. Some of the options include:
The doors listed above also happen to have MyQ technology, which makes it possible to turn your garage door opener into a part of your smart home. With the tech, you will be able to operate your garage door from anywhere in the world, as long as you have an Internet connection. This is a nice benefit that you will soon appreciate.
Find Out More
Of course, if you are interested, you will want to get in touch with the professionals. Those who live in or near Barrie will want to contact us right now at 705-733-1211.
We know and understand garage door openers, and we can make sure that you get the backup battery you need, and we can help you find a perfect new garage door. We will make sure that we consider your needs and your budget when deciding on your new garage door opener.
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