You have probably heard of a garage door opener extension cord. But did you listen to it’s a hassle to use? Yes, it’s effective. Useful too.
When you have no power outage and need to take your car out, what else are you going to do except install an extension cord? Or when there is no outlet available, you also need external power.
But it takes a cautious person to use it. The hazards are endless when it comes to garage door opener extension cords. Using it permanently isn’t a good move. It will get damaged faster. That means you pose more significant risks to fire and electrical hazards.
Naturally, a dangling garage door opener may slip under the garage door and get pinched. An exposed wire is another risk we will find out more about in this article, as well as other likely conclusions. Let’s find out how these hazards may occur in this article, alright?
Can You Use an Extension Cord With a Garage Door Opener?
While using an extension cord is okay and increases the opener’s power, it remains a safety hazard. There are countless ways your garage door opener electrical wire can be destructive. So let’s look into the ways they pose these risks:
Dangling Underneath the Door
Can you run an extension cord under a garage door? While you wouldn’t want to, it could eventually end up there once in a while. It won’t necessarily cause any risk the first time, but it’s bound to rip in the process. You will very likely face a short circuit afterward.
Getting Pinched
The garage door opener power cord can get pinched when it runs into the garage door operation– just another way of rousing yourself in a fire hazard. If the garage door opener cord is too short, there is a higher likelihood of snapping out. Or if there is a garage door rail bending problem, even the extension cord won’t help. You should replace garage door opener power cord if this is the case.
No Emergency Disconnect
Installing an emergency disconnect is necessary for any detached garage without a service entrance. In the event that the power goes out or the garage door opener stops working, these are the only way of getting out of the garage.
Tripping against
You will probably run into them if you haven’t got any way of holding your extension wire for garage door opener. Garage door openers being in the middle doesn’t help our case either. You will suffer from tripping way more often, especially if the garage door opener cord length is long.
Older Garage Door Openers
Most garage door openers that are over 25 years old will not have photoelectric sensors fitted. Only a real test can reveal whether or not the garage door opener’s auto-reverse functionality works when it encounters an obstacle. The garage door opener should be allowed to shut on flat 24. If the opening turns around on its own when it collides with the 24, it has passed the test. If it doesn’t, it means it fails the safety test and has to be fixed or replaced.
Exposed Wire
Most garages are not air-conditioned. Thus, they may quickly accumulate moisture and snow from the outside. Even a tiny cut in the cord or an exposed wire can cause a shock or even start a fire.
Mounted Low
The garage door opener wall button should be placed at least 5 feet from the ground to prevent children from accidentally opening the door. By measuring the floor-to-button length or height, you can know how far up the opener is.
You can be more imaginative by considering yourself a kid. This is accomplished by beginning the measurement at the house’s common entrance to the garage rather than the garage’s floor.
Revoke Warranty
Due to all of its dramatic obstructions, you will have to face the manufacturer’s prohibitions on their garage door opener plugged into extension cord most of the time. No doubt, your warranty will revoke in case of any damage to the opener.
Times you can use a garage door opener on extension cord:
- When the garage door opener outlet doesn’t work.
- When the circuit breaker acts up and works inconsistently.
- When you are working on electrical repairs, you may need an external outlet to power your garage door.
- When there is a power shortage.
FAQ
01. How often to replace garage door opener?
You should replace your garage door opener every ten to fifteen years. How well you maintain your opener will determine how long it will last. Annually, most people open and close their garage door thousands of times.
02. How much garage door opener cost?
A professional will charge from 220 to 550 dollars to install the garage door opener. The opener costs from 150 to 500 dollars too. Then there are labor expenses which are from 65 to 85 dollars per hour. Multiply that by the hours they will work for you. It can take two to six hours, depending on the type of garage door opener.
03. Can I Hardwire My Garage Door Opener?
Hardwiring your garage door opener is functionally equivalent to plugging it into an extension cable. The safety risks associated with permanently hardwiring the opener outweigh the benefits. Thus, garage door openers and extension cord together are not recommended long-term options. However, hardwiring garage door openers is okay in the short term.
Conclusion
Can garage door opener be plugged into extension cord? Yes, but why would you do that unless you need it? It goes without saying that unless it depends on your daily functioning, you should avoid using an extension cable to operate your garage door. Using an extension cord comes with many more risks and complications than benefits.
The garage door opener extension cord is a good thing to have for your garage, though. Just make sure you don’t use it all the time. Because the more you use it, the more it’s likely to damage and cause any significant or minor shocks. However, this can be pretty handy if you have frequent power outages.
