Garage Door Opener Hit By Lightning

A garage door opener hit by lightning will often get damaged from the resulting power surge. Capacitors and circuit boards are the most common parts damaged. Although logic boards are easy to replace, they are prohibitively expensive to purchase when compared to the cost of a new garage door opener. If your garage door opener is struck by lightning you may have a difficult decision in repair or replacement.  This is especially the case if you have purchased several remote controls or if you have several garage doors operating off the same remote.

Repair or Replace

The decision to repair or replace the garage door opener is about cost effectiveness. If you have an operator ten years or older, it’s always a good idea to replace the entire unit.  Most logic boards are around $80.00 with new units around $150.00 total. Throwing almost one-hundred dollars into a garage door repair on an old unit isn’t cost-effective – not to mention remotes that may need to be replaced when the frequency changes. You may need to hire a repair technician if you aren’t comfortable installing the new circuit board yourself.  Unless you recently bought your opener, always purchase a new unit. If the rail is compatible, you may be able to re-use your rail and purchases the head motor only.

Surge Protector

Regardless of what decision you make on your opener, always have a surge protector installed. The Liftmaster 990LM is an excellent way to protect your garage door opener system against most lightning strikes. At just $20.00 the surge protector is easy to install and compatible with all openers manufactured from 1994 to present. It can be purchased online or at your nearest garage door dealer. Given the low price, garage door surge protectors are a cost-effective way to save your electronic opener from damage.

Garage Door Opener Hit By Lightning

Garage door openers that have been struck by lightning are often damaged beyond repair, but in some cases the power surge can cripple openers. Often malfunctions like ghost openings and inconsistent operation can result. This creates dangerous situations where you garage door opens on its own, leaving the garage and your home unsecured.

Garage Door Guide Cal
Hello, I’m Cal – owner of Garage Door Guide LLC    

I write tutorials about garage door repair, installation and maintenance. With over a decade of experience in the overhead door industry I’ve learned a lot and I’d like to share my knowledge with you.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *