A Garage Door Battery Backup is Essential
During an emergency, your garage door opener may be the last thing on your mind. However, having a garage door battery backup may mean the difference between having an extra option for safety and security or not. Should the power go out for any number of reasons, without a backup battery your car will be stuck in your garage—meaning you have one less resource to help you through a potentially dangerous time. Backup batteries can provide a homeowner with safety, convenience, and peace of mind.
Backup batteries are relatively easy to find in newer models of garage door openers. Most are sold and installed with one already, or you have the option to purchase one before installation. Older models will likely not have a backup and unfortunately, it’s not something that can be installed after the fact. A new garage door opener will need to be installed in order to have a backup battery; but it’s very much worth the price, time, and effort.
Consider the many valid reasons how a garage door battery backup can provide safety, security, and greater convenience for you and your family below:
The Benefits of having a Battery Backup
“Most people don’t think about this until it is too late,” Dodd said during a statement. “My goal with this bill is to raise awareness and give people the security of a battery backup.” – Sen. Bill Dodd,
If a garage door backup battery costs extra upon installation, why get one? Of course, because it will provide safety, convenience, and peace of mind—but also because it can potentially save your family’s life or at least help them get out of dangers way and into safety more quickly and easily.
In a natural disaster or other accidents, if your home loses power, this means your car may be trapped in the garage because you’ll have no way of opening the door, aside from opening it manually. And you may not have time or manpower to open a heavy garage door manually in certain dangerous situations.
- House fire: If your home catches on fire, you may lose power quickly. A backup battery will allow you to open your garage door as soon as you need to, helping you and your family get out of the house quickly. You’ll also be able to get your car out to save it and prevent the fire from running into its combustible fuel tank. Keep in mind, also, that the garage may prove to be one of the only ways to get out of a house, depending on where the fire starts, so it’s certainly worth providing another way of escaping quickly by way of an open garage door.
- Severe storms: Whether they’re severe wintery ice storms or summer thunderstorms, you’ll be in trouble if your power goes out and your car is trapped in the garage. If your car is stuck in the garage, you won’t be able to use it as the valuable resource it is in such a situation. Outside the garage, even if you don’t have power inside, you can use your car to either warm up or cool down or charge cellular phones. You won’t be able to do this if it’s stuck in your garage and you can’t get it out.
- This is a great place to remind homeowners that you should NEVER let a car engine run with the garage door closed because it can result in carbon monoxide poisoning and death.
Even if the power goes out in your area for a reason unrelated to fire or storms, you want the option of your car being accessible and usable. Though you may be strong enough to open a garage door manually should the power go out in a dire situation, all the other members of your family may not be able to do so if you aren’t at home during the time of the emergency. Keep in mind, also, that if your garage door is disconnected from the opening mechanism so that you can open it manually, you’re not the only that can open it manually. Your garage will become much less secure if you’re forced to choose this option.
Conclusion
Installing a garage door battery backup is a smart way to prepare for the future and ensure your family can escape quickly without difficulty. When the power goes out, your car may provide a way to keep you and your family safe in the wake of house fires, natural disasters, or simple everyday power outages that cause inconvenience. If your garage door won’t open because the power is out, you have already made the decision that your car won’t be an option.
A garage door opener with a battery backup will ensure that you or any other member of your family, large or small, will be able to safely open the door and either use that as a way to escape danger or get your car out to use it for protection and safety. Installing a garage door with a backup battery is a simple task when considering the wide range of benefits it will provide. Be sure to check to see if your garage door opener already has a backup battery, and if not, talk with a trusted garage door professional about adding one.
If you are interested in installing a garage door battery backup, please give us a call!
Your Garage Door Guys is dedicated to providing the best for you and your family. We’re happy to guide you toward the best product and ensure its installed properly.