Garage door opener on the fritz

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I have a Craftsman garage door belt drive opener that is 14 years old, is this an average life span? The last one was a Genie that was there when we moved in in 1988 and lasted up until fall of 2007 when I installed the Craftsman.

Couple months ago it started acting up, wouldn't open then an hour later it would and be fine for a few days then nothing, repeat rinse..... I've have figure out it seems to happen when it's hot our or high humidity. From researching this it seems cold solder joints are common on these, but a new board is $89 and if that turns out no to be the issue the motor could be the problem @ $120. If I ended up replacing both I would be close to buying a new one so I decided just to replace it.

The only one I can find local is a Chamberlain B550 at Menards for $199 ($177 after 11% rebate) and is my budget at this time. This one looks exactly like what I have now but has the MyQ wifi thingy. I did figure out they both are made by Liftmaster.


Looking for some folks that have used this model or Chamberlain and your thoughts or suggestions.
 
Installed a similar Chamberlain earlier this year, one thing to note the Liftmaster is the pro brand and has a solid steel track, the Chamberlain is a hollow stamped steel. The stamped steel is 1-2" shorter so I had to modify the brackets mounting the motor.

I like the MyQ feature, it's nice being able to open and close the door from the phone app and setting it to close every night on a schedule in the event it was left open.
 
I like the MyQ feature, it's nice being able to open and close the door from the phone app and setting it to close every night on a schedule in the event it was left open.
That does sound like a handy feature. Nothing I hate more than getting out of bed at 2AM or so just to check the garage door.
Is there a way that it would just notify you after a certain time instead of closing it? Down here, I'd want to check for critters before locking in them in the garage all night. You know, armadilos/black racers/anoles, etc.

I'd replace mine just to have that feature.
 
I have a Craftsman garage door belt drive opener that is 14 years old, is this an average life span? The last one was a Genie that was there when we moved in in 1988 and lasted up until fall of 2007 when I installed the Craftsman.

Couple months ago it started acting up, wouldn't open then an hour later it would and be fine for a few days then nothing, repeat rinse..... I've have figure out it seems to happen when it's hot our or high humidity. From researching this it seems cold solder joints are common on these, but a new board is $89 and if that turns out no to be the issue the motor could be the problem @ $120. If I ended up replacing both I would be close to buying a new one so I decided just to replace it.

The only one I can find local is a Chamberlain B550 at Menards for $199 ($177 after 11% rebate) and is my budget at this time. This one looks exactly like what I have now but has the MyQ wifi thingy. I did figure out they both are made by Liftmaster.


Looking for some folks that have used this model or Chamberlain and your thoughts or suggestions.
The doors get out of balance after years of use. You need to call a garage door tech out to check it out and tell you what's going on. Annual service and balance is about 100-150 depending on your location. just do it when needed every few years. Hope this helps.
 
Cold solder joints? Pull the board and look at it and hit the pads that look dull with an iron and a bit of solder. Otherwise just replace. the new ones have wisper quiet DC motors ...much better then the old GRRRRRRRRRRRRR ones that shook the walls ;-)
 
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My Genie belt drive has been acting up lately with the same symptoms, works great for a few days and then it either won't open or close, sure it's just a limit switch adjustment, just need to find the owner's manual. :unsure:
 
The doors get out of balance after years of use. You need to call a garage door tech out to check it out and tell you what's going on. Annual service and balance is about 100-150 depending on your location. just do it when needed every few years. Hope this helps.
I'm fairly sure this isn't the issue, when I unhook it from the trolley and manually open/close it's very easy/smooth even though it's an old heavy wooden door (single door). When you pull it up half way it stays put so I'm thinking it's adjusted as good as it can be but after I install the new one if I have the same issue I may have to call someone, thanks.
I'd replace mine just to have that feature.
I was thinking of trying to pull the board and look for the bad joints but once I started looking into new openers and seen this feature it made my decision a little easier, plus what's next, motor, sensors! 🤷‍♂️
Cold solder joints? Pull the board and look at it and hit the pads that look dull with an iron and a bit of solder. Otherwise just replace. the new ones have wisper quiet DC motors ...much better then the old GRRRRRRRRRRRRR ones that shook the walls ;-)
When I went from the old chain driven Genie that was there to the belt drive Craftsman I was really impressed with how quiet and smooth it was.

After I install the new one I will take the old one apart and take a look at it, maybe the bad joints will stick out, I just have no experience in this type thing and the wife is about done with it not opening on her command!
My Genie belt drive has been acting up lately with the same symptoms, works great for a few days and then it either won't open or close, sure it's just a limit switch adjustment, just need to find the owner's manual. :unsure:
I was looking at Genie's even though they are $50 more and I'd have to order it from Amazon (rather buy local). Do you happen to know what model you have and how old it is?
 
My 20 year old WD does the same on hot days.
This is what I first thought was happening a couple months ago but as the mornings became cooler it was still doing it. Monday was a cool very humid day, it wouldn't open in the morning or at lunch but in the afternoon the humidity let up and when I got home it did open. Since then it hasn't been as hot or humid and opens every time.
 
One difference I noted is that those installed by garage door shops have a single piece rail, those purchased online or self installed have a two piece rail. I have a liftmaster with the MYQ and also a battery backup. The backup comes in nice a couple of times a year. Depends what you want to spend but Liftmaster appears to be the high quality. They all seem to last about the same time though,.
 
Cold solder joints? Pull the board and look at it and hit the pads that look dull with an iron and a bit of solder. Otherwise just replace. the new ones have wisper quiet DC motors ...much better then the old GRRRRRRRRRRRRR ones that shook the walls ;-)
I worked as an ET at a BIG plant.
#1 request was tape wife's phone calls.
#2 was car radio, blind resoldering fixed 99% - the bigger the pad, the bigger the part that vibrates, etc.
 
My 25 year old Craftsman acted up about 10 years ago and I replaced the electrolytic capacitors in the sensor boards. That fixed it then. Last week it wasnot wanting to close. I found a spider web on one sensor. Cleaned it off and problem gone.
 
One thing I forgot to mention is when it wont open and you use anyone of the remotes it blinks 29 times, I've counted it several times and every time it is 29. As far as I can tell Craftsman/Chamberlain only have six codes along with a Rapid flashing which I'm not sure I get the fix but I have tried reprograming both handheld remotes as well as the keypad.

One difference I noted is that those installed by garage door shops have a single piece rail, those purchased online or self installed have a two piece rail. I have a liftmaster with the MYQ and also a battery backup. The backup comes in nice a couple of times a year. Depends what you want to spend but Liftmaster appears to be the high quality. They all seem to last about the same time though,.
Actually the Craftsman I have now and the Chamberlain I plan on purchasing have a five piece rail. I'm sure a one piece is better but watching the door when it opens and closes shows no signs of bowing or any movement. I did look at the Liftmaster but Amazon doesn't have a good selection and the closest place around here is couple hours away.

Thanks everyone for you replies, very helpful. Since it's 14 years old I'm going to replace the whole system and it that doesn't fix the issue I may need to call for help which means Overhead door here $$$$$$$.
 
The doors get out of balance after years of use. You need to call a garage door tech out to check it out and tell you what's going on. Annual service and balance is about 100-150 depending on your location. just do it when needed every few years. Hope this helps.
We use our double metal door with windows so much the large single horizontal spring has broken twice in 20 years. Got familiar with a local Garage door company who replaced it each time. They come out in a minute if we call and every single time they come out the tech checks everything and runs in up and down many times to make sure all is aligned and working properly. Its worth the small fee. I did something he suggested a while back. I ordered all new rollers with nylon covered wheels. I installed them all in one day and they make a big difference vs the old metal wheels. Its smooth as silk now. The nylon covered wheels were not real expensive either.
 
I know this thread is ~2 months old but I just had to replace my Liftmaster opener. My old neighbor was a garage door technician (he installed the opener that we had for the previous owners) for years and told me to go to Menards (a regional big-box store like Lowes for those not in the midwest) and get a Chamberlin belt-drive and NOT spend more than $200. The Chamberlin, Liftmaster, Craftsman, etc units are all the same. I re-used the existing, single T-rail track (it's better than the erector-set, click-together track the new one came with) and belt (belts that come with new units are slightly shorter or longer) and simply swapped out the opener and the inside and outside button/keypad. Left the existing sensors in place too.
 
I also had a Chamberlain, and it lasted long enough. That's not what I began to let down, namely the doors. The doors of my garage increasingly stopped in the middle and did not want to close. I couldn't leave the garage open three nights in a row, so I had to buy other doors. I bought new garage doors and installed them. They were installed by the company where I purchased these doors. They suggested the installation themselves. As it turned out, the installation of entries is included in the cost of doors. I didn't have to mess with the garage door on Christmas Eve.
 
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There’s little differences in the Chamberlain brands(Chamberlain DIY, LiftMaster and Craftsman) - just the rail(LiftMaster is a one-piece T/I beam rail, Chamberlain/Craftsman is a 3-piece box rail) and the belt/chain drive(again, LiftMaster uses a single chain/belt, while the DIY series uses a chain/belt to the trolley, and a cable on the undriven side of the rail) and aesthetics.

The new Chamberlain should bolt up to the existing Craftsman mounts and except for the wall control should be a plug and play ordeal. Don’t forget to adjust the limits and opening/closing force.
 
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