Remote Not Working? 6 Reasons (Plus Solutions) for Garage Door Remote Frequency Interference
Your garage door remote has a mind of its own. It opens some days and refuses to work on others. This is a common and real problem for many homeowners and businesses throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Garage door remote interference and problems with remotes can be a real headache, annoying at the very least and at worst creating a real safety issue for your home or business.
At Legacy Garage Doors, we get calls all the time about remotes not working. The good news is that interference issues are usually quite fixable, and having an understanding of what causes the problem is half the battle to getting it fixed quickly and getting you and your business back to feeling confident and comfortable using your garage.
What is Garage Door Remote Frequency Interference?
Remote-controlled garage door openers work by sending out radio signals to a receiver built into the opener. If the remote is working correctly, it usually operates somewhere between 300-400 MHz, but can also be “jammed” by outside signals or electronics. When this happens, you’ll notice that your garage door either doesn’t work or may work erratically, or only from close range.
These days, with so many smart home devices, Wi-Fi routers, and increased infrastructure being installed by the City of Toronto, this issue is more common than you think.
Common Causes of Garage Door Remote Interference
1. Duplicate or Nearby Radio Frequencies
Wireless electronics such as cordless phones, baby monitors, car alarms, and even your neighbour’s remotes may be operating at similar frequencies to your garage’s and they may be interfering with the signal of your remote when in close proximity to each other.
2. Nearby Electronics, Interference or LED Lighting Fixtures
Certain types of LED bulbs, transformers, and power supplies are known to emit radio frequency noise that can interfere with remote signals especially when installed in or around your garage.
3. Old Remote Batteries or Damaged Wiring/Components in Opener
Sometimes it is just the batteries in the remote that are weak, or the antenna or wiring inside your opener has been damaged by moisture, insects, or general wear and tear.
4. Geographic Location or Nearby Metal Doors or Large Objects
Dense urban areas or locations near industrial or commercial zones have a lot of signal pollution (jamming) from other electronics. But even large metal doors, concrete walls, and vehicles can also block or reflect signals from your remote to the opener, thus affecting how well your remote works.
How to Troubleshoot: Do You Need to Call a Garage Door Technician?
Step 1: Simple Solutions & Tests
Replace the batteries on your remote – many times this is the simple culprit!
Stand next to the opener – If the door works at close range, but not from across the garage, it could indicate some type of interference or an issue with the opener’s antenna.
Look for new electronics or LED bulbs that were recently installed near the garage area – If this seems like it could be the case, try moving them or temporarily unplugging them to see if that makes a difference.
Step 2: Eliminate Nearby or Obvious Interference
Unplug any nearby devices that might be new lights, electronics that could be creating interference and re-test your remote
Replace LED bulbs if you have them – This might seem obvious, but there are many different bulbs on the market now, and only some of them have compatibility with garage door openers because they tend to emit interference when turned on. You’ll need to look for LED bulbs that are “garage-door safe” or have a “low interference” label.
Step 3: Test and Maintain the Opener
Open up the remote and check the opener for loose wires, corrosion, or debris
Make sure the antenna is hanging straight down and not kinked or bent at an angle which will affect its reception.
Step 4: Replace or Reprogram the Remote or Opener (if necessary)
If you need to, you can reprogram the remote using the instructions in your opener’s manual.
You may also need to upgrade your opener if it’s 10-15 years old (old openers can’t be fixed) to a new one that uses rolling codes (changes the operating frequency constantly for each use) and more modern technology to avoid this kind of interference.
Professional Garage Door Repair Service
If all of the above hasn’t worked or your garage door opener just has constant problems with the remote not working, then it is time to call in the experts.
Legacy Garage Doors has provided garage door repair Toronto can count on for years of reliable service, resolving stubborn radio-frequency interference issues, faulty remotes, and any issues with your opener.
Our emergency garage door service GTA also means that we can be at your business or home in a flash even if you are incredibly busy or in a pinch – it doesn’t have to put your day on hold when our techs can fit you in the same-day.
Our professional garage door technicians check for interference that you can’t see and offer advice about which accessories and upgrades are compatible with your existing equipment and new smart garage door opener replacement can help you sidestep interference completely.
Smart Openers & Secure Connectivity
Upgrading to smart openers or Wi-Fi controlled systems will allow you to control your door with your smartphone as well in addition to remotes. This is because they use Wi-Fi and Zigbee or Z-Wave radio protocols, which are separate from normal remote control frequencies.
Not only will this increase reliability, but also will improve your security by having rolling code capabilities that changes the frequency it operates on every time you press the button.
Upgrading to a new opener? Legacy Garage Doors offers garage door opener replacement and smart home connections for Toronto businesses and homes throughout the GTA.
Top Tips: Preventing Remote Interference
- Professional Installation: When we install, we pay close attention to where the antenna is located, where cables run, and any power supply filters that might also reduce or avoid interference issues.
- Schedule Preventative Maintenance: Smaller issues that are easily fixable such as loose wiring or worn out remotes are simple to fix by doing early maintenance, but if you let them go they can often develop into more significant and disruptive issues.
- Buy From Reputable Brands: Some openers work better than others and we have experience in installing and repairing with many different models of garage door openers, we can always recommend what we know works best in Toronto and the GTA.
Why Should I Choose Legacy Garage Doors?
Legacy Garage Doors has been installing, servicing, and repairing garage doors in Toronto and the GTA for years. In that time we have come to know what is required to make sure your garage door opens and closes smoothly and works reliably, day and night, in all types of weather.
We pride ourselves on offering
- Transparent pricing with no hidden fees or costs
- Expert, certified technicians who educate you about your options and don’t upsell you (promise)
- Same-day response for urgent repairs, calls, and troubleshooting
- Honest advice on repairs, replacement, or upgrades
Get Your Garage Door Remote Working Again
Don’t let your daily schedule get disrupted by garage door remote frequency interference. Legacy Garage Doors is here to help fast and reliably.
Call to book an estimate or service online now to see why we are the most recommended in Toronto for all of your garage door repair, opener replacement, and emergency support needs.
