Should I unplug my garage opener while away or on vacation?
December 31, 1969
No one wants to be constantly worried about their house while away on a trip or vacation. You want to be able to focus or relax without distraction. The key to making your trip a care free one is by completing a long list of steps to ensure nothing goes wrong in or around your house while you are away. The easiest step is to make sure you lock up your house properly. But people tend to forget that the garage door is another entrance into your home. So you can’t forget to lock up this door properly as well.
So to those who wonder, should I unplug my garage opener while away or on vacation, the answer is, YES!
There are a number of ways for a thief to open your garage door. The exterior keypads could be manipulated to open up, your garage door clicker could be found in one of your cars, or a power surge could damage the transmitter, causing the door to open on its own. So to keep your house safe while you are away, we have decided to fill you all in on how to disconnect your automatic garage door opener.
To disconnect your opener from the door, start by closing your garage door all the way.
There are different types of rails but all of them are similar. Pull straight down on the emergency release handle or on the red rope. You should hear a snap or click and the trolley release arm should set into a vertical position. You should now be able to open and close the door manually.
We would highly recommend you either use the sliding bolt or put a padlock on the track to prevent entry by force. But it is extremely important to remember to remove the lock or push back the sliding bolt when you get home BEFORE you try and open up your garage door again. If you forget the lock and try and open your garage, you will cause some serious damage to your garage door that might be expensive to repair.
Once you are home from your trip, you will need to reconnect your garage door to the opener. Again, remember to unlock or release the sliding bolt before opening the garage!!! After you have done that, you reconnect the opener by pulling on the emergency release handle once more, pulling it back towards the opener until the trolley release arm becomes horizontal. For others kinds of rails, you pull the red rope straight down again. It should be obvious that the door is connected when you hear a click or snap. Once you are sure that you have reconnected the opener, test it out. It should open as expected.
We want you to have the best trip possible, over the summer or during any other time of the year. And we at Precision Garage Door Service of Seattle believe the key to having a successful trip is not having to worry about the safety of your house while you’re away. So make sure to put these steps at the top of your checklist and enjoy your time away. Your garage door will be waiting for you, safe and sound, when you return.