How to Replace Your Garage Door Remote Control

There are many reasons why you might need to replace the remote control for your garage door. It might be something as simple as the remote no longer working or even lost or stolen.

In our article, we will explain how to replace your garage door fob, walking you through the process step-by-step to make it as easy as possible.

Check the battery

If your remote control is not functioning (rather than having been lost or stolen), the first thing you should do is determine whether or not the problem is due to the battery. While some models will give off an alert to let you know they are low on battery, it’s certainly not a universal feature.

Before you go to the time and expense of buying and calibrating a brand new garage door remote control, it’s worth replacing the batteries with a new set. You never know – it might be all you need to do to resolve the issue.

Choose your remote control

While it would seem to make sense when buying a new remote control to choose one that matches the make and model of your garage door, that’s not always possible. If your garage door is an older model, replacement fobs might not be readily available unless you want to pay extortionate prices to a specialist dealer.

Fortunately, there is a solution. Since most garage door openers operate using similar radio wave technology, there is a whole range of universal remote control options available. These remotes can be programmed to match your particular model and are often available at a much more affordable price than a proprietary brand.

Program your new remote

Whichever brand of remote you get, you will need to program it to work with your garage door’s automated opening mechanism. Both branded and universal remotes should come with detailed instructions on how to do this.

It’s often just a matter of syncing up your remote with your opener so that the remote control’s unique identifier chip is logged in the opener’s memory as an authorised device. The particular steps vary from one make to another, but it is typically a swift and simple process.

Erase the old remote

This step is crucial, particularly if your remote is lost or stolen. It’s all well and good to have a new remote control fob for your garage door, but if the old device’s identifier chip is still in the opener’s memory, anybody who comes across the original remote control can open your garage door.

You will need to follow the instructions that came with your automated garage door opener (or find those same instructions online if it’s been a while since you had it installed) and make sure that any old remotes are erased from the memory.

Replacing Your Garage Door Remote Control: Final Thoughts

We hope our simple How to Replace Your Garage Door Remote Control guide has made replacing your  remote as straightforward as possible. If you’re still not sure how to go about it or would prefer some professional assistance, Alliance Garage Doors is here to help. Customers in Newton Abbott and the surrounding Devon and Dorset areas can take advantage of our decades of experience in electric garage doors by calling the team today at 0800 328 1930 or 07760 784 283.