Garage Door Opener Security Buying Guide

How secure is your garage?  Most often consumers buy door locks, latches, and dead bolt locks to secure the front and back doors. Most locksmiths will tell you, “Changing your locks will only keep the good people out.  If a burglar wanted to break into your home or garage, a lock won’t stop them.”  So, what do you have in place that will guard the biggest door to your home?  99 out of 100 people will most likely say that they do not have any type of garage security.

However, there are many solutions available that will help to aid the protection of your home…and your loved ones.

Garage doors are often used more than the front door of a home, and it also happens to be the least secured.  There are many solutions available to protect the garage, and these solutions don’t have to be costly.

The first step is to convert your existing dip switch receiver and remotes to a rolling-code type of technology.  We have learned that a child can figure out your dip switch settings within 30 minutes.  Dip switches utilize a static access code, while rolling-code technology changes the access code each time a button is pressed using an algorithmic pattern over a million (or even over a billion!) possible codes.  These conversion kits vary in price and also with the number of possible access codes.

Receiver and transmitter conversion kits we carry:

• SkyLink MT-18 Rolling-Code Motorcycle Kit
• Linear MDRU-1T – 1,000,000 access codes
• LiftMaster 635LM-1T – 100 Billion possible codes

The second step to securing your garage uses wireless home security products.  Wireless home security products will allow you to secure your garage even if it is a detached garage.  With these types of system, you, as the consumer, will have to consider the range which you need to transmit, say, from the furthest end of your home to the receiver or from your detached garage to the receiver.  These devices generally have no trouble transmitting through walls or ceilings, and the transmission range varies from 100 ft. to 1500 ft.  Additionally, there are many other types of sensors available to keep your garage safe, such as door and window sensors, garage door sensors, alarm sensors that will pick up existing alarm signals from your fire alarm or carbon monoxide alarm, motion sensors, and flood and water sensors.  In addition to alerting you when you are at home, these wireless security systems also have the option to alert you when you are away from home.

Here are some wireless home security options we have:

• AAA+™ Home Smart Kit AM-100 – Range 100 ft.
• SkyLink Basic Home Security System SC-10 – Range 100 ft.
• Linear Supervised Security Kit DVS-1200KIT –Range 1,500 ft.

The third choice, which is an alternate to having a home security system, is implementing wireless household alert products.  The difference between household alert products and home security systems is that the household alert systems will only alert you with an audible beep and/or flashing light on the receiver; while home security systems will sound an alarm.  And, if you have the telephone responder option, the system can call you on your cellular phone or work phone, page your pager, or call any persons you specify.  But one must remember, not all robberies occur in an unoccupied house.

Household alert sensors and receivers:

• Household Alert® Garage Monitor GM-318 – Sensor and Receiver Range 100 ft.
• Household Alert® Door and Window Sensor WD-318T* –
• Household Alert® Water Level Sensor WA-318T* –
• Household Alert® Indoor/Outdoor Motion Sensor HA-318T * –
• DesignTech Garage Door Sentry 30300 – Range 300 ft.
• LiftMaster Garage Door Monitor 915LM –
  *Can be used with GM-318 kit

Lastly, for those of us who inadvertently leave our garage door opened and forget to close it, the AutoCLOSER will allow you to set a specific time to close the door automatically after it has been left open.  It will work with most garage door openers and will prevent burglary from garage doors that are left open.  It also features a disable button that will allow you to keep the door open while you work on your car in the garage or while your children play outside.  The AutoCLOSER will also act as a temporary solution to garage doors opening on their own.  Many customers come home and find their garage doors wide open.  This could happen for any number of reasons – ranging from a rogue signals that matches your access code to a short circuit in the electrical wiring that triggers your wall switch to operate the garage door opener.  A longer list of these possibilities is available at our sister web site: /gdoopensbyitself.html.

Implementing any of these security solutions will add an extra layer of security to your garage and home.  It also decreases the possibility of you or your loved ones from burglary. Any of these options will benefit you especially if you are away from home for business or on a vacation.  No method is 100 percent effective, but with these solutions described above, you can decrease your chances of becoming a victim to burglary.