An automatic opening garage is one of life’s little luxuries. All you have to do is pull up to your garage door and press a button, and that door will open on its own. All you have to do is drive inside. Sometimes though, that garage door isn’t going to open.
Here’s how a garage door backup battery can help.
Benefits of Batteries for Garage Door Openers
Most of the time, you don’t need to think about the power running to your garage door. Just drive up and the door will open for you. When there’s no power though, there’s not going to be anything automatic about your door.
Everyone has been there. You’ve driven back home after a long day, and you’ve gone to drive into your garage. However, it turns out there’s a power outage in your area. That means that you’re going to be sat outside for a long time unless you get out and manually open the garage door.
That’s all well and good, but it always seems to be the worst night of the year when this happens. It’s raining, windy and cold, and you need to get out and open that door. Usually, you’re going to be in your good clothes too. It’s not great, and nobody wants to put up with it.
That’s where a backup battery comes in. These batteries kick in when the power goes out in your area. That means even if there’s no power in your home, they’ll be powering your garage door when you get back. You’ll get your car inside quickly, without having to get out and wrangle with the door yourself.
Backup Power When Storms Hit
If you live in an area where storms are common, then you really do want to consider a backup battery for your garage door. Storm damage can do a number on the power lines around you. After all, it’s very easy for a tree to come down and pull down some power lines with it. Depending on how bad the storm is, you could be waiting hours, days or even weeks for the power to come back on.
In these situations, having a backup battery can be a lifesaver. You’ll know that your garage is still secure and protected, even if there’s no power to the rest of the house. You can get your car inside safely, and keep it there knowing it’s protected from the bad weather. Even if you’re waiting a long time for your power to be turned back on, you’ll be able to keep your home safe while you’re waiting.
Improving Technology
You may have had a backup battery in the past, and decided against them. This will sound familiar if you had an early model of battery. These batteries may allow you to open that door once or twice, but after that, the battery would have worn out. You’d have to open that door manually until your power came back on.
These days, you’re getting much more bang for your buck when it comes to backup power. When you buy a backup battery today, you should be able to get up to 20 openings on one charge. In fact, some batteries offer up to a three-year lifespan on that charge, too. This technology is improving all the time, so you should be able to get even more in the near future.
How To Install A Backup Battery
Now that you’ve decided to have a backup battery on your garage door, you’re going to need to install one. This is a job you can do yourself if you have a little DIY knowledge. Here’s how you can get the job done.
Firstly, you’ll need to buy the right model battery for your garage door. Look for advice online, or talk to your garage door dealer. They’ll be able to point you in the right direction.
Then, once you have your garage door battery, you’ll need to charge it up. This can take anything from 2 to 6 days, depending on the model you’ve bought. Ensure that you let it fully charge before you install it, so you get the most life possible from the battery.
To install it, you’ll need to find the space where the backup battery can be inserted. You can consult the manual to find it, or ask the company that installed the door where that should be. Once you know where to install it, follow the instructions in the manual to install it correctly.
Now the battery is installed, you’ll need to test it. Shut off the power to your garage door, and try opening the door. If it works, you’re good to go. It’s often a good idea to test it every year or so, to ensure that it’s still working.
Once the battery has reached the end of its lifespan, you’ll know about it. The LED light on the battery will be showing as orange or red, depending on the model. As well as this, you’ll be hearing a beeping noise every few seconds to alert you of the fact the battery is depleted. Take this battery out and replace it with a new one, to ensure that you’ll be able to access your garage at all times.
Calling In The Professionals
You understand how important it is to have a backup battery installed, and you want to get one set up in your garage. However, you’re not too sure about how to do it or don’t have a lot of DIY experience. If this sounds like you, it’s a good idea to call the company who installed your garage door for you.
They can offer you a quote on fitting the battery, and come over and have it installed quickly. Having an expert handle it gives you peace of mind, and you’ll know it’s set up correctly.
A backup garage door battery is a very handy thing to have installed in the event of a power cut. Buy one today and get yourself prepared.