How Secure is a Garage Opener?

People generally picture the remote control component of the opener, while thinking less about the mechanical component inside of the garage. This makes sense, as the remote is what provides both the ease of use and the security that we associate with garage door openers.

How secure is a garage opener? At first, when there were not many consumers had remote controlled garage door openers, they were not very secure. The transmitter would send a signal at a particular frequency to the receiver mounted on the garage. Eventually, as the garage door opener expanded into suburban neighborhoods, frequency interference became common for a time. One person’s garage door opener would activate a neighbor’s garage door. This led to the creation of more complex signal frequency systems to eliminate the problem, which had the added effect of increasing the difficulty of someone intercepting the signal for nefarious purposes. At this time, each signal sent by a remote is encoded and unique, so that it is nearly impossible to abuse the technology.

The other major component to be aware of is the mechanical door opener located within the garage, above the door. There are different types of garage opener, but none of them actually provide the lifting power for moving the door. The electric motors actually only control how the door moves. The spring system that comes with the door itself is what provides the lifting power. The electric motor still needs power, however, to control the door’s movement. Because it is a motor, a garage opener’s power is measured in horsepower. In general, the heavier the door, the more power is needed to control its movement with ease. Alternating current and direct current are the two energy supply options available for any electric device, and garage openers are no exception. Direct current has several advantages, including the ability to use a backup battery and being significantly quieter.

A belt mechanism can be used to move the door. It will also reduce noise, but it is somewhat more expensive. A chain mechanism can be used to move the door, although the use of chain increases the noise in the garage when it is in use. A screw-drive system uses a large screw to move the door, and a jackscrew, or residential direct drive, can be installed in smaller garages, as it is a smaller unit.

A garage door opener may be more complicated than you once thought. The security features have changed to meet the needs of the times. Throughout the years, they have evolved from being simple, with less variety, to being more complex with more available options. Knowing the options out there will aid you in any decisions you might have to make involving remote controlled garage door openers.