The last thing you want to deal with come wintertime is a garage door that won’t open and close. That’s why it’s important to make sure that your garage door opener is up to the challenge before the colder temps arrive.

From depleted batteries to a garage door that won’t open due to ice and snow, winter in St. Charles can be a challenging season for your garage door and opener. Before they start working overtime during winter, use our checklist below to make sure your garage door opener is up to the test.

Lubricate. One of the most important steps to making sure your garage door opener is ready for winter involves lubricating the garage door’s hinges and rollers. This is critical so that the garage door opener will operate smoothly. You can pick up a spray or other light lubricant at your neighborhood home improvement store.

Check the backup system. In the event of a winter storm, you’ll want to make sure your garage door opener back-up system is working properly. If it is, you’ll be able to open and close your garage door via the remote or touch pad even if the power goes out.

You’ll find details on how to test the back-up system in your garage door opener’s manual. For most, you can unplug the garage door opener from the outlet and test it to see if it still works with the remote.

Replace light bulbs. Not only should you replace the light bulbs in the garage before the cold weather sets in, you should go ahead and replace the garage door opener bulbs as well. Although most bulbs last about 10,000 hours, we recommend erring on the side of caution even if you think you’ve got a little ways to go before the bulbs stop working. You don’t want to be left in the dark in the garage on a cold winter night.

Replace the remote batteries. One of the quickest and easiest ways to get your garage door opener ready for winter is by replacing the batteries in the remote. Ideally, these should be replaced every two years or so, but bear in mind that cold weather will drain all batteries quicker.

A couple ways to tell if the batteries in the opener’s remote need to be replaced is by looking to see if a low battery light is on (if your model includes this feature) and by observing how quick the remote is to work. If it takes a few presses on the button to open the garage door, you probably need to replace the batteries.

Check the garage door. You’re going to want to make sure the garage door fits well in the frame and that there aren’t any gaps on the ground where snow and freezing water can get in. Should ice and snow get into the garage, particularly where it opens, it can cause the garage door to freeze shut and your garage door opener won’t work.

Be prepared. In the event that your garage door opener won’t work in the winter, be prepared. Have a broom and a shovel within easy access so you can clear snow and ice from the garage door. And for car safety during winter, have a pair of jumper cables or a power jump starter in your car, as well as a heavy blanket.

Still not sure if your garage door opener is ready for winter? Give the team at Martin Door a call. We can do a complete check so that it’s up to the test and ready for the colder months ahead.