Losing a garage door remote can cause panic in most homeowners. It's normal for you to feel like the security of your home has been compromised, especially if you don't know where you lost the remote. What's more, you may suffer inconveniences as you may be unable to get your car out of the garage. 

Replacing the garage door remote as quickly as possible will restore operations and safeguard your home. Additionally, it protects you from back injuries that could result from manually opening the door. With this in mind, here are a few things to help you replace your garage door quickly and efficiently.

Choosing a Remote: Model-Specific vs. Universal Remotes

As you replace your garage remote, you will come across two options: model-specific and universal remotes. Model-specific ones are manufactured for use with your specific garage door opener model. These can either be manufacturer-made or aftermarket ones. Universal remotes, on the other hand, are designed for use with any garage door.

Manufacturer-made and aftermarket remotes are great options as they are similar to your lost garage remote. However, the former can be hard to find as most manufacturers stop making products for old models. You can opt for aftermarket ones which are easy to find and more affordable than manufacturer-made remotes.

Universal remotes are more readily available than after-market ones. They are a great option if your garage door opener is old and you cannot find an aftermarket remote for its model. They may not have the same features as the original remote, but they work fine. All you need is to find a high-quality one that's compatible with your door.

Fixed vs. Rolling Codes

When choosing your garage remote, you can either opt for one that comes with a fixed code or rolling codes. Fixed code remotes have been used for decades, and they come with one fixed code that you use to open the door. However, if you wish to, you can change the code at any time. On the other hand, remotes with the rolling code technology generate a different code every time you press the button.

Remotes with rolling codes are more advanced and offer better security than the fixed code ones. Since you get a new code every time, an intruder cannot get the code and access the garage without the remote. You also don't have to worry about the code getting in the hands of an unauthorised person as could be the case with a fixed code remote.

Remote Control Frequency

Finally, once you get your new remote, you need to program it to your garage door frequency. The frequency is the channel that the remote communicates with the opener to send commands. You can get this frequency in your garage door opener manual. If you lost the manual, check the manufacturer's website for the frequency.

Replacing a garage remote shouldn't be a difficult process. If you face any difficulties, talk to a professional like one at Frost Security Locksmiths so they can replace the remote for you.