Repair or Replace a Garage Door Opener?

It goes without saying that everything we use on a daily basis is subject to wear and tear, and garage door openers are no exception. Eventually, our ever faithful garage door opener will succumb to its ailments and leave us having to face the decision of whether to repair or replace the entire unit. Thankfully, if you have a fairly modern unit that’s been kept in good condition, a simple repair would usually suffice but it’s still worth digging a little deeper to explore all your options. For example, if the same problem has occurred in the past:  you might want to consider installing a newer, more reliable garage door opener. Or perhaps the unit is fairly new: this might indicate a low quality or poorly maintained garage door opener. In any case, it’s worth taking the following into consideration before deciding on your best course of action.

How Old is Your Opener?

The first thing you should be considering when deciding whether to repair or replace your garage door opener is its age.  Manufacturers say the average life expectancy of an opener is 15-20 years.  Since new openers are inexpensive, if the unit is over ten years old then it might not be worth repairing and it may just be time for an upgrade. If it’s newer, then it’s more likely a repair will be worth it.  In either case, it’s advisable to consult a professional garage door opener technician to help you determine the best course of action; this could end up saving you time and money in the long run.  A simple phone call to a knowledgeable technician describing the symptoms you are experiencing should be enough for him to give you a fairly good idea of the likely cost to repair or replace your opener.

How Much Will it Cost?

When comparing the cost involved between a repair or an upgrade, you may also want to consider some of the benefits newer openers offer.  For many, the biggest upgrade is that many of the new openers are very quiet – especially the belt drive units with DC (direct current) motors.  It often doesn’t cost much more to upgrade to one of these quiet units.  Some even come with wifi built-in so you can operate your door with your smartphone from anywhere you have a connection.  f you’d like to enjoy a more modern and accessible technology like remote operation, then an upgrade might be a better option.

Personal Choices

At the end of the day, deciding whether to repair a garage door opener or replace the unit as a whole boils down to personal choice and budget. What you might have thought to be a major issue could be a simple inexpensive repair. In the same way what you may have thought was a simple fix could actually end up costing almost the same as replacing the entire opener. As mentioned above, getting in touch a trained garage door opener repair technician is highly advisable. At The Door House, our team of experts is happy to guide you through the choices and even advise you on the best steps to take to avoid a repeat scenario in the future. Contact us today to find out how we can help.