The difficulty of opening the garage door via the controller after work is annoying. Fortunately, there are a few simple tricks to increase the range of your garage remote connection. In general, the range of a garage opener is about 30 meters. However, there are many things that can affect the connection. Increasing the range of the garage opener connection may be possible simply by replacing the remote's batteries or by something more complex such as relocating the transmitter to prevent interference from other devices.
Step
Method 1 of 8: Check if the car visor is causing interference to the remote
Step 1. Take the remote by hand when it is attached to the car visor
After that, press the button to open the garage. If the remote works fine, but doesn't work when attached to the visor, it's possible that something on the visor is interfering with the signal. If this is the case, increasing the remote's connection range may not make much of a difference – you can't use the remote attached to the car's visor.
Method 2 of 8: Replacing the Battery
Step 1. This simple fix should only take a few minutes
A faulty battery can affect the performance of the garage door opener. To replace the batteries in the remote, remove the visor clamp, then gently pry the back of it with a flat-blade screwdriver. Use a screwdriver to gently pry out the old battery. After that, insert the new battery into the same place and replace the cover.
- Most garage openers use 2032 batteries, but there are also some models that use batteries of different sizes.
- If you haven't changed the battery in a while, but the remote still doesn't work, do a test with a battery tester. If the battery you purchased is an old product, it may already be dead when you bought it.
Method 3 of 8: Extend the antenna
Step 1. Use this simple method to increase the connection range
Look for an antenna on your garage door – it's usually just a cable hanging from a transmitter unit. Turn off the power to the garage, then use a cord cutter to trim about 1.5 cm of insulation at the ends. After that, prepare a low-voltage cable 6 meters long and cut one end of 1.5 cm long. Wrap the two ends of the wires together, then secure them with the power cord and stretch the new wires to the supports at the bottom that hold the garage in position. Tighten the wires near your garage door.
- If you want, you can tuck the new antenna into the garage door to make it stand out. This will amplify the received signal, but you can also leave it inside the door if you don't want to see the wires sticking out.
- You can use any cable you have at home, including stereo, ethernet, or phone cables.
Method 4 of 8: Replace a remote that is more than 10 years old
Step 1. Try this method if the remote buttons are worn out
As the remote ages and the buttons wear out, the device can no longer send a strong signal to the transmitter. Over time, this can affect the range of the garage opener. You can buy replacement remotes at most department stores that sell household appliances.
If the remote is left idle for a long time and uses worn-out batteries, the circuit may be corroded. If this happens, the remote may need to be replaced even if it is not yet 10 years old
Method 5 of 8: Change the frequency on the old garage opener
Step 1. Press the frequency control lever on the remote if there is one
Older garage remotes communicate with the transmitter over a specific frequency. This frequency is determined by a series of levers known as DIP levers. Open the back of the remote and look for the lever – there may be 9 or 12, depending on the model of the garage remote. After that, look at the transmitter or box in the garage that controls the opener, then look for the same lever. Move a few levers from their original positions – just make sure that the positions of the levers on the remote and transmitter are exactly the same.
- It's a good idea to use a random pattern to position the levers instead of positioning them in a straight line – this will reduce the chances of someone copying the emitted RF signal and opening your garage door.
- If your transmitter uses a certain frequency, but doesn't have a lever, you can install an external signal receiver near a garage door opener that can convert those frequencies automatically.
Method 6 of 8: Replace the light bulb that is causing the interference
Step 1. Unplug the garage light if this is the source of the problem
Some devices emit radio signals that may cause interference with garage door openers. LED and neon lights often cause this problem. So, if you use the lamp, try to unplug it for a few minutes. If the range of the garage opener connection extends further when the lamp is unplugged, try replacing the lamp with a different brand.
If you don't want to replace the light bulb, you can try attaching a ferrite clip around the power cord on the box that controls your garage door opener. Simply clip the clip around the power cord to help block RF signal interference. You can buy this device online or at an electronics store
Method 7 of 8: Move the garage door control box if you cannot clear the interference
Step 1. Keep the box away from other electrical devices
There are many devices that can cause interference, including automatic spray or light systems, surge protectors, and alarms. If you can locate the source of the problem causing the interference and cannot remove it, simply move the garage door control box to resolve the issue. However, you may need professional help to perform the installation.
- For example, if there are cables behind the garage causing interference, moving the garage door control box to the front might solve this problem.
- Unfortunately, it can sometimes be very difficult to pinpoint the source of the problem – it could be caused by other things, such as a signal from a nearby airport or a radio transmitter, for example.
Method 8 of 8: Reprogram the remote using the code
Step 1. Reset the remote if it doesn't respond at all
If the garage door opener doesn't work at all, the problem may be with the reset code being transmitted to the signal receiver. While this process may vary based on your garage door opener remote, most products from well-known brands include a "Learn" button on the garage opener or door controller. Press this button, then press and hold the button on the remote that you want to use to open the garage door.
- If the button is on the garage door control box, it is usually located under the antenna.
- Depending on the garage door model, you may hear a “click” sound on the garage door or see a flashing light on the remote to indicate that the reprogramming was successful.
- When you're done, press the button again to make sure the garage door opens.
