Tell Me About your Smart Garage Door Opener

[Qs Laptop]

It's time for a new garage door and therefore a new garage door opener. I'm definitely going to get a garage door opener that I can control with an app on my phone. But beyond that I'm uncertain what other options I should be looking at getting.

Belt drive for quietness? Or old school chain drive?

Should I get a built-in camera? Or place one of my existing wifi cameras in the garage? Do I need a camera? (I do want the ability to tell if the garage door is open or closed without needing to go out there and look and/or want to be able to check the status when I'm away from home.)

What about a keypad on the outside of the house? Should I get that?

How about battery backup, in case the power goes out? Or simply use the old-fashioned rope pull method of opening a powerless GDO?

What about a wall-mount motor, instead of an overhead mount motor?

Please chime in with your experience and suggestions for a smart garage door opener.

(Also, I'm not interested in hearing about your 30 year old garage door opener that's still kicking--I've already got one of those--or the utter foolishness of using your phone to control your garage door.)

 

[calmloki]

Belt drive for sure. We mounted and use an external keypad down south - very handy if I'm outside and want in without trekking around to a house door. also handy to allow friends access if they don't have a key. Keypad combination is very easy to change vs. door keys if we get nervous about our friends later. Our phone app chimes when the door opens or closes and tells if it is open or closed. handier than circling the block because I don't remember if I actually hit the close button on the car mirror or not..

 

[MichaelB]

Our replacement opener from 2 years ago is a liftmaster with wifi, camera and app.

I tried the camera and found it wasn’t helpful, but we already have 2 outdoor cameras focused on the same area and this one didn’t show us anything new.

I can open and close the door with the app, and it shows me if the door is open or closed. That’s convenient. It also sends an alert whenever the door is opened or closed. Also convenient.

The lamp is LED, a big improvement over the incandescent bulb previously used. It had a rechargeable battery which should come it handy if we lose power, but that hasn’t happened.

 

[OldShooter]

We install the liftmaster belt drive door operator a year ago in our new house. It works fine. It's nice and quiet. No problems with the operator itself.

The app and the liftmaster camera are a joke. I'll get a notification that the garage door is opened even as long as 20 minutes after it happened. Totally useless. And of course the camera is useless at that point because whoever came into the garage is already gone away and the garage is empty. I don't know if there is a third party solution to this problem or not. But the liftmaster solution is a waste of money.

 

[Qs Laptop]

Our replacement opener from 2 years ago is a liftmaster with wifi, camera and app.

I tried the camera and found it wasn’t helpful, but we already have 2 outdoor cameras focused on the same area and this one didn’t show us anything new.

How is the quality of the camera footage? Does it record? Can you save recordings to a SD-card or do you have to use a cloud service?

The app and the liftmaster camera are a joke. I'll get a notification that the garage door is opened even as long as 20 minutes after it happened. Totally useless. And of course the camera is useless at that point because whoever came into the garage is already gone away and the garage is empty. I don't know if there is a third party solution to this problem or not. But the liftmaster solution is a waste of money.

The delayed notification is a definite disappointment. I guess that's where the camera would come in handy, that is, if you make a habit to check the app's video. Plus, the camera would confirm or deny if the door was indeed open.

How is the quality of the camera footage? Does it record? Can you save recordings to a SD-card or do you have to use a cloud service?

 

[Qs Laptop]

Belt drive for sure. We mounted and use an external keypad down south - very handy if I'm outside and want in without trekking around to a house door. also handy to allow friends access if they don't have a key. Keypad combination is very easy to change vs. door keys if we get nervous about our friends later. Our phone app chimes when the door opens or closes and tells if it is open or closed. handier than circling the block because I don't remember if I actually hit the close button on the car mirror or not..

What brand garage door opener do you have?

(I understand that Chamberlain and Liftmaster are owned by the same company and may share designs.)

 

[calmloki]

Chamberlain, maybe 4-5 years old, no camera, no battery backup. Gotta have your internet up to have the reporting take place of course. (true confessions: last winter we piggybacked on our neighbor's wifi connection to know if the door was operated while we were out of state for six months. Don't think we used much bandwidth)

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

Get an external keypad for sure and you don't have to put it on the front of the house next to the garage door. Many people put it on a side wall and paint it the same color as the house so it's less noticeable to anyone driving past.

 

[MichaelB]

How is the quality of the camera footage? Does it record? Can you save recordings to a SD-card or do you have to use a cloud service?



The delayed notification is a definite disappointment. I guess that's where the camera would come in handy, that is, if you make a habit to check the app's video. Plus, the camera would confirm or deny if the door was indeed open.

How is the quality of the camera footage? Does it record? Can you save recordings to a SD-card or do you have to use a cloud service?

Working from memory, as I don’t use the camera, but the video was adequate. Good enough to recognize someone. I recall Liftmaster offers a subscription video storage option.

My door opening and closing alerts are within seconds, no delay. Same with the app open / close function. It’s easy for me to test that because I have an outdoor camera covering the area including garage door.

 

[OldShooter]

How is the quality of the camera footage? Does it record? Can you save recordings to a SD-card or do you have to use a cloud service?



The delayed notification is a definite disappointment. I guess that's where the camera would come in handy, that is, if you make a habit to check the app's video. Plus, the camera would confirm or deny if the door was indeed open.

How is the quality of the camera footage? Does it record? Can you save recordings to a SD-card or do you have to use a cloud service?

Camera is adequate for a cheap camera. The app is constantly trying to sell me cloud services, no SD card slot. I would not buy the camera again even though IIRC it was under $50. I would buy a camera sold by someone in the camera business not someone in the garage door business.

I would probably not bother with the app either. If I didn't already have it I'd buy a magnetic switch that worked with an alarm system that did not rely on the internet to function.

Actually I bought this camera: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CPV6648G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 and mounted it on my yard light pole. It alarms on motion and covers the garage approach and parking area, will also pan to cover a wider area. The only problem, which I did not discover until too late is that the internal battery is not replaceable. It is charging nicely from the solar panel now, but at some point I will have to throw the thing away.

 

[jazz4cash]

We have Craftsman (made by liftmaster) belt drive units that are 24 yrs old. I chose belt drive because we have living space above the garage. I had to replace one belt last year on the least used door(?) that was pretty easy DIY, $80 for the part. We have the 3 button premium control unit plus wireless keypad outside. Keypad wore out and replaced this year. Plenty of new and used parts available online. The keypad allows temporary codes for a guest.

I think I want a blink camera to monitor the door and a separate smart device to control the door.

 

[athena53]

Mine is from Overhead Door Company. No camera. It has an outside control panel but it stopped working, I replaced batteries, stopped working a few months later. I like the phone app for going out for a walk and not having to get the control out of the car. My 5-year old grandson thinks it’s a cool toy. I was VERY annoyed that the installer didn’t sync the unit before he mounted it; I found after he left that you needed to push buttons on the unit- which was now out of reach on the garage ceiling. Not a safe job to do alone; had to wait till I had company.

I do wonder what will happen when I sell the house and the new owner will have to get access to the smart garage door, thermostat, sprinkler controller, water valve controller… wonder what else I forgot.

 

[boog]

I replaced my opener last week. The remotes quit working and troubleshooting indicated a bad control board on the old unit. The opener was a Liftmaster chain drive, non-smart, 12 years old. The replacement board is no longer available except used on eBay. l opted to replace it with a new smart opener. This is what I installed - https://www.lowes.com/pd/Chamberlain-CHA-3-4-HPS-BELT-GDO-WIFI-BBU-LED/5002182401
The belt drive is MUCH quieter than the chain drive. It came with an outside remote pad and two remotes. Battery backup, smart control, and a built in motion sensor light. Installation was straightforward and everything works well. Based on one week’s use, I can highly recommend it.

 

[jazz4cash]

Forgot to mention I replaced the costly heavy duty incandescent bulbs with plain ‘ol cheap LED bulbs with no issues. The heavy duty incandescents were recommended to withstand the door motor vibrations so I thought the LEDS might fail quickly. I’d imagine all the new openers come with LEDs.

 

[triangle]

Last year I replaced a pair of 30+ year old Liftmasters with Chamberlain myQ units. They are wifi connected and the smartphone app works at home or from far away. I was not really looking for a "smart" opener but it has come in handy to use the app to occasionally open or close the door. Or see when it was last closed.

As for the other features, I think that is mostly about what you think will be useful. I have thought about adding a camera, especially after seeing them in Costco but based on my too brief research (don't trust what I am saying here) a subscription was needed to get much more than a live video feed, so I did not purchase. I did not want a keypad, as I am still looking to get some kind of smartlock/pad for the door which would eliminate the need for a garage door keypad.

I got a chain drive model. As I think they were cheaper and I was thinking it would save me time on installation since I already had a working chain drive setup to follow when replacing. Since I was lazy and working by myself I reused all the existing hardware (door tracks, springs, opener mounting points) from the old opener. It was almost a plug-n-play swap. I considered replacing the old chain and I don't remember exactly why I did not (I believe package came with a new chain and far end sprocket). I did lightly clean and lub the old chain but reused it. While I think a belt drive may be better if one had a room right above the door or other noise considerations, I also think a chain drive works well.

 

[RetiredHappy]

I use MyQ quite a bit, mainly because of my OCD and ADD, that I would need to check to ensure that I did close the garage door after I have left. A couple of times my neighbor texted me to let me know that my garage door was still opened and I used MyQ to close it on my phone.

 

[Sunset]

...

As for the other features, I think that is mostly about what you think will be useful. I have thought about adding a camera, especially after seeing them in Costco but based on my too brief research (don't trust what I am saying here) a subscription was needed to get much more than a live video feed, so I did not purchase....

....

If you want a low cost camera that does not require subscription to see live feed and to record to it's own microSD card, I can recommend both Wyze.com and Eufy.com . They have a lot of cameras, but both have camera's that only cost about $25 and have 2K resolution (plenty for inside a garage). Both will alert you to motion without any subscription and show you the live feed. Plus you can set both for continuous recording to see playback later.
I have both.

 

[MTB4me]

I have a 5 year old Chamberlain belt drive with battery backup and external keypad. No smart features, thankfully. Just don’t need them or the added complication. The battery backup function failed after about 2 years. Prevented the opener from working at all until I removed the battery. Tried a new battery, but same behavior. Just run it without the battery backup now. The keypad is super handy, though it also lasted only 4 years or so before I had to replace it (the buttons became flaky).

It’s been an okay opener, but I’d say the quality/reliability is just so-so.

 

[Ian S]

We have a 3 y.o. Linear brand smart opener. I believe it's chain drive; never hear it inside the home unless you are within a few feet of the door into the garage. I like the connection through wifi. The app works fine and I like the ability to close/open the door remotely. Also like the ability to lock/unlock remotely too. The app also shows if the door is open or closed and keeps a record of when the door was open or closed. You can turn the built-in light on and off with the app. No camera. I'm alerted within seconds of the door being open or closed. We don't have a keypad.

 

[FLSUnFIRE]

I have a dumb opener with a keypad outside -to allow someone in when I am not there I have programmed several "burner" codes that I can use and then change. I installed a Ring camera outside that allows me to verify it is closed/capture intruders as well as a door sensor on the door so I get an immediate notification it if opens/closes. Meets my needs and peace of mind that the door is secured. Of course, if I forget, I'd have to ask a neighbor to run over and close it but in a a townhome that's not too much of an inconvenience. Not sure I want a smart one but will decide that if/when my current one needs replacement... not so much hacking but inadvertent action, especially if linked to a voice assistant that has poor hearing.

 

[DrRoy]

DW especially loves ours. It can close at a pre-set time to make sure we do not forget. Can also keep track of people who come to mow the lawn when we are travelling, and that the door gets closed.

 

[folivier]

Replaced an obsolete Ryobi with an OHD Legacy 920 with chain drive, battery backup, app, and use a Wyze camera to see what's going on in garage. This chain drive is very quiet, overall pleased with it. With the app it dings my phone when door opens and closes, nice since we're only there a few months/year.

 

[Jerry1]

I did a retrofit on my older unit. Not that you should, but the mechanism is simple and works great. The unit plugs into my opener and connects to my wifi. Any smart opener will do that. The simplicity comes in at the switch that lets me know the door is open or closed. It's a simple magnetic switch. A magnet in a static position and the switch rides with the door. Switch open, door open. Switch closed, door closed. Notification is pretty much instantaneous. In addition to that, my ring camera shows enough of the door that I can see whether it is closed or not.

Keep in mind. None of these things work without the internet (obvious), so every once in a while, something you rely on may not work. That's one of the frustrating things about the internet of things. You need the internet. When power goes out, I lose internet but since I have a generator, my in house wifi works fine. So, the device can be seen on my network (while my phone is on the network), but it won't work because it needs input through the internet. Very frustrating. Thankfully, about the only internet of things that I've found that works reasonably well with no internet is my smart light bulbs.

 

[triangle]

.... So, the device can be seen on my network (while my phone is on the network), but it won't work because it needs input through the internet. Very frustrating. Thankfully, about the only internet of things that I've found that works reasonably well with no internet is my smart light bulbs.

The cloud is biggest concern with the myQ garage door opener but for a different reason. How the company could potentially track the history of opening/closing and likely guess when no one is at home. I am not concerned that someone is sitting in their data center watching my home specifically, but that they will sell historical data to a 3rd party or there is a data leak. (I don't recall what their terms of service state, so this fear is lilkely unwarranted). I rarely use the myQ app as it offers very little that is not visible in real life, but decided to keep the opener connected longer trips out of town.

But that cloud issue is there for a lot smartphone enabled things. Approximately 2 years ago there was a big fuss over Eufy security cameras. As their promise was to store video footage in the camera or on the local network and not in the cloud, but some people got upset and vowed to avoid their products once they found out images were in the cloud. I did not dig deep into the issue, but I thought it was a communications/expectations issue, since to send a smarthphone alert with an attached image requires going through the cloud.

 

[jazz4cash]

I did a retrofit on my older unit. Not that you should, but the mechanism is simple and works great. The unit plugs into my opener and connects to my wifi. Any smart opener will do that. The simplicity comes in at the switch that lets me know the door is open or closed. It's a simple magnetic switch. A magnet in a static position and the switch rides with the door. Switch open, door open. Switch closed, door closed. Notification is pretty much instantaneous. In addition to that, my ring camera shows enough of the door that I can see whether it is closed or not.

Keep in mind. None of these things work without the internet (obvious), so every once in a while, something you rely on may not work. That's one of the frustrating things about the internet of things. You need the internet. When power goes out, I lose internet but since I have a generator, my in house wifi works fine. So, the device can be seen on my network (while my phone is on the network), but it won't work because it needs input through the internet. Very frustrating. Thankfully, about the only internet of things that I've found that works reasonably well with no internet is my smart light bulbs.

Sounds like what I’m looking for. Who makes it? I was thinking these will still work locally as long as wifi is connected, though.