How to Reset Garage Door Opener and Secure Your Home

If you want to know how to reset garage door openers for security purposes, skip to step 8. However, if you have an issue with your garage door opener, you’ll want to rule out a few common problems first. To gauge what steps you’ll need to take, you’ll need to put on your detective hat and identify the scope of the issue. Let’s start with electrical issues, as they can pose a danger to your home.

Before you attempt to fix your garage door opener, keep an eye out for any of the following signs you have an electrical problem in your home.

• Flickering lights 

• Buzzing or burnt electrical outlets

• Other electrical appliances don’t work on the circuit

• Frequent circuit breaker trips

• Ground fault circuit interrupters (GCFI) on your garage power outlets keep shutting off 

• Flashing or “on” garage door opener warning light 

• Plugged in unit has no power

• Garage opener only opens partially before powering off or opens on its own

You might need to hire an electrician or garage door opener repair pro if you notice any of these issues.

Control panel issues can prevent your remote from working, so test the wall-mounted control panel to ensure that part of the garage door opener works. While there, check to see if the lock button is engaged, as this will stop the remote from working.

If the door opens and closes using the button and the lock is disengaged, then the problem is likely the remote. Look it over inside and outside to see if it has any physical damage, possibly from being dropped, stepped on, or exposed to water. Damaged remotes usually need to be replaced.

When your remote looks fine but still doesn’t work, try replacing the batteries. Depending on how often it’s used, garage door remote batteries need to be replaced every one to two years. Old batteries can be a common reason for a faulty garage door opener. Even if you see the remote light power on when you press the button, the battery could be too depleted to send a signal.

A garage door opener works by using a remote to send a signal to the garage door opener to let it know that it needs to open or close. But if the signal can’t reach the opener, then the garage door won’t work. Most garage door remotes have a distance limit of 20 feet. This distance can be cut short if you have objects blocking the signal, so check the surrounding area to prevent obstacles from getting in the way of your garage door opener’s signal.

Garage doors have built-in safety sensors to prevent injury and property damage. These sensors use infrared light beams and must be lit up and within visibility of each other to function properly. If one is off, misaligned, or obstructed, the sensor light won’t turn on, preventing your garage door from closing. For any broken or damaged sensors, garage door sensors cost around $160 to replace.

Inspect your garage for blockages, and remember that sunlight can also prevent the sensors from operating correctly. You can rule this out or confirm it by testing your remote at night or checking to see if there’s a specific time of day when the garage door won’t work. Invest in sun shields to prevent further interference. If you use your garage for storage, you may want to learn how to organize a garage to keep the area clear.

Though less common than expired batteries, if you have a plug-in garage door opener rather than a hardwired one, it could simply be unplugged. Check the cord and reprogram your remote and keypad to see if that fixes the problem.

Once you’ve ruled out external problems and tried replacing the batteries, it’s time to reset the unit. You can find the reset button in several locations depending on your system and garage door setup:

• On the wall unit

• In a box near the motor

• On the exterior of the motor housing

• Concealed under a panel

• Beneath the light cover on the motor

The button will typically have a “Learn” or “Home” label and an LED beside it.

Push and hold the “Learn” or “Home” button for around five seconds—until the LED light either goes out or starts flashing.

After resetting your garage door opener, you’ll also need to reprogram any remotes and keypads to reconnect them to the device. You only have about 30 seconds to connect the remote after pushing the button on your garage door opener, so have your remote nearby. 

To reset the remote, press the “Learn” or “Home” button once, but do not hold down the button, or you may accidentally reset the garage door opener. The LED light should turn on or begin blinking to indicate that you can pair the remote. Push the button on the remote, and watch for the garage door light to flash or slowly power off.

To reprogram an in-vehicle remote, you may want a helper near the vehicle so you don’t have to run back and forth to pair it, as you’ll also only have 30 seconds. Push the “Learn” or “Home” button on the garage door opener once, then quickly press the button on your vehicle’s remote. This button is usually on the roof near the rearview mirror, so it’s wise to find the button before starting the process. The garage door light should blink or turn off slowly to show that it’s ready.

Resetting an entry pin is relatively simple for same-brand garage door opener kits, but universal, remote-entry keypads can be a little trickier and manufacture-dependent. We recommend referring to your instruction manual if you have a universal keypad. 

Press the “Learn” or “Home” button once for the LED light to flicker on. Enter a new code on your keypad. You may need to press the button again to confirm the new pin.

Note: Never use easy-to-guess numbers for your PIN, such as your home address, birthday, phone number, or “1234.”

Once you’ve troubleshot any potential issues and reset the pin or remote, it’s time to test your garage door opener. Press the button on your remote to ensure that it works. If your garage door won’t close or open after all of your hard work, it’s time to call a garage door opener company near you to get to the bottom of the problem.