How Garage Door Remote Works?

Are you wondering how garage door remote works? If so, you’re at the right place. As one of Canada’s best-rated garage door repair companies, we love to educate homeowners and provide helpful information regarding garage doors and related hardware.

While your garage door opener remote works very similar to a TV remote control on the most basic level, there are distinct differences in the design and operation of the two. Unlike TV remotes, which often operate on the Infra-Red signal, garage door remotes use radiofrequency instead. It provides an extended range and improved security. Garage door opener remotes operate within a frequency range, often between 315 MHz and 390 MHz. Garage door opener remotes are user-friendly and easy to set up. We have a specific article on how to reprogram garage door remotes if you’re interested in that as well.

What Are Rolling Code Garage Door Opener Remotes?

When it comes to garage door opener remotes, there are those with permanent and rolling codes. And the main advantage of the rolling code system is increased security. It is pretty much impossible to capture and duplicate the codes from the rolling code system, even with sophisticated hardware. On the other hand, a signal from garage door opener remotes with pre-set code is relatively easy to capture and duplicate. For that reason, most garage door opener manufacturers move over to a rolling code system. Brands like Liftmaster and Chamberlain, with their Security 2.0+ and MyQ technology, offer best-in-class security features.

What Is The Range For Garage Door Opener Remotes?

The effective range of your garage door opener remote may vary significantly from the range reported by the manufacturer. Typically garage door opener manufacturers report an effective range of about 120 feet. However, multiple factors may affect the true effective range. As with most tests done nowadays, every test is conducted in perfect conditions. No obstructions, direct line of sight, no interferences, etc. But in reality, every obstacle, material of your garage walls, and even the presence of LED lightbulbs inside your garage may affect the effective range of your garage door opener remotes.

Why My Garage Door Remotes Only Work Up Close?

From our experience, the two most common reasons for decreased garage door remote range is either radio interference or a disconnected antenna inside the garage door opener.
Every garage door opener has a small piece of wire coming out the side of the unit. That is a small antenna that’s connected to the opener’s logic board. Unfortunately, sometimes the antenna breaks loose entirely or partially, causing a serious range drop for your remotes. As a result, you might only get your remotes to work inside the garage and close to the opener. This issue is fairly easy to solve if you’re a DIY person. Otherwise, Google “garage door repair near me” and find a good-rated local garage door company. They should be able to troubleshoot and solve your issue.

Another common reason for the garage door remotes range drop is radio interference. Some of your household appliances or other electronic devices can cause that. Nearby Cell or Radio towers can cause that too. However, the most common reason for garage door remote range anomalies is the LED light bulbs. Those can emit radio frequency that interferes with the frequency of the remotes, so every time the light bulbs are on, you might have an issue with the signal. We always suggest removing the LED light bulbs from the opener first, and if that doesn’t help, move on to the following troubleshooting steps.

What Is The Solution For Garage Door Remote Interferences?

It may be challenging to find the source of the interferences or to eliminate it completely. You can’t move a cell or radio tower out of the neighborhood so your garage door remotes operate properly. In cases like that, your garage door repair company could offer to install an upgraded receiver. It can help to fine-tune the settings and set up your remotes.

Sometimes homeowners realize they have a problem only after installing LED lights outside the garage, and letting it all go to waste isn’t a viable solution. An extended receiver like 850 LM by Liftmaster can solve this issue. It hooks up to your garage door opener and will operate as an upgraded receiver for your remotes.

What Is a Universal Garage Door Opener Remote?

There are different types of garage door opener remotes. Some have a hardware limitation and only work with certain brands and models of garage door openers. In contrast, others can connect to pretty much any garage door opener on the market, which makes them universal.
There are two types of universal garage door opener remotes. One is an 893MAX by Liftmaster. This remote will work with Chamberlain, Liftmaster, and Craftsman garage door openers, making it Universal. However, it will not work with a variety of other brands, meaning you need to pay attention to the brand of your garage door opener when searching for a universal remote. Another popular remote is UT380 by Liftmaster. This remote will connect to any opener on the market, making it a truly universal remote control.