Garage door opener or remote not working: find which one it is

What you’re seeing and hearing

• The remote does nothing, or only works from close to the garage: a dying battery shrinks the range before it stops entirely. Source: Your garage door remote stopped working
• The remote works, the door starts down, then reverses and the opener light blinks: that is the photo-eye sensors, not the remote. Source: Your garage door remote stopped working
• Neither the wall button nor the remote does anything, though the opener’s light is on: the logic board may have lost power to its output circuit. Source: Why won’t my garage door close?

Is it safe to use the door right now?

Yes. A door that won’t respond is stuck, not dangerous.

• In a power outage, the red emergency-release cord disconnects the door from the opener so you can lift it by hand. A double door weighs 150 to 250 pounds, and you can only lift it because the springs carry that weight. Source: Your garage door won’t open in a power outage
• If a spring is broken the door is dead weight: don’t pull the release on it. Source: Your garage door won’t open in a power outage

DIY or a pro, and why

The checks are yours, in this order. A dead receiver or motor is not.

• Press the wall button first. If the door moves, the opener, motor, springs and sensors are fine, and the problem is the remote in your hand. Source: Your garage door remote stopped working
• Many remotes run on a 3V CR2032 coin cell. The outside keypad takes one too and dies on roughly the same schedule. Source: Your garage door remote stopped working
• Reprogram it. On LiftMaster and Chamberlain, press the Learn button on the motor unit, then the remote button within 30 seconds. On a Genie with Intellicode, press the remote button twice. Source: Your garage door remote stopped working
• Hold the wall button down through the whole close: a held button overrides the photo-eye reverse, and the remote cannot. If that closes the door, the sensors are the problem. Source: Your garage door remote stopped working
• Nothing responds but the opener’s light is on: unplug the opener for thirty seconds and plug it back in. After a surge or a brief outage it sometimes needs that hard reset. Source: Why won’t my garage door close?

What the fix involves and costs

• A replacement logic board costs less if you source the part yourself and more installed. Ask for both prices. Source: Your garage door remote stopped working
• The NAHB and Bank of America study of home components (2007) lists garage door openers at 10 to 15 years, and says maintenance, weather and how heavily the opener is used all change it. Source: How long does a garage door opener last?
• HomeAdvisor’s normal range for an installed opener is $218 to $540, with an average of $379. Get a written quote that says what is included. Source: Garage door opener cost, line by line
• A battery backup keeps the door working through an outage. Chamberlain says the battery will last "approximately 1-2 years", and not every opener can take one. Source: How long does a garage door opener last?