You might not think of it anymore, but there is plenty of technology all around you that you might take for granted. One such thing is the garage door keypad – but before we can delve into the cost of installing these, you need to look at what they control – the garage door opener.
So, what are garage door openers? Garage door openers do exactly as you imagine – open garage doors automatically. These machines are typically found on the ceiling and eliminate the hassle of getting out of your car and manually opening the door yourself.
How do garage door openers work? Garage door openers use a series of counterweights and gears to move the garage door open and close. There are different types of garage door openers that rely on different material to do this, with varying levels of costs and use.
As explained by Majestic Garage Doors, who does professional garage door installation in Joondalup, Austrailia, the three most common types of openers use a different drive to move the door open and close – relying on either a chain, a belt, or a screw. While these are found in most homes, there is another type of garage door opener called the Jackshaft that is often used in businesses.
What are these Jackshaft garage openers?
Rather than be connected to the ceiling like other openers, these machines are connected to the side of the door. The reason you’ll often find these in businesses and not houses is because they require a minimum of 12 feet of ceiling space to be used effectively.
This is a keypad that ties directly to the garage door opener. Allowing you convenient access into your garage with a simple security code. Coming with these keypads is a remote control that is typically kept inside your car, allowing you to open the door without leaving your car.
Why get a keypad in the first place?
As mentioned before, these keypads offer a level of convenience that you might take for granted. The security code can be given to loved ones or other people you may trust to get in and out, while also keeping out everyone else.
How do I program these remote and keypads?
It can vary tremendously from brand to brand, but you usually have to press and release a smart button on the pad. From there a light should flash allowing you to sync the remote to the pad, and put a pin code for the pad. For full instructions look at your user’s manual.
How much does the keypad cost anyways?
There are many costs associated with these keypads but expect the pad itself to run anywhere from $30 to $60, with the remote being from $30 to $40. While not necessary, you should see if you can install a light as well, as these are incredibly useful at night.
I would recommend looking at Genie, Liftmaster, and Chamberlain garage door keypads, as they offer the easiest installation, high quality, and are pretty affordable. There are plenty of great picks to choose from though.
What do you need to install a garage door keypad?
Make sure you purchase the right keypad for your garage door opener – you can get this by looking at the model number of the opener. After this, you’re going to want to grab a screwdriver, tape measure, keypad batteries, and the programming instructions.
What does it take to install?
Installing a garage door keypad isn’t that difficult, all you need to do is to program the keypad to the proper frequency, pick a key code, make sure said code works, and then screw it at about 5 feet on the doorjamb for easiest access.
Wait, what about the wiring?
Thankfully with recent advances in wireless technology, wired garage door keypads are outdated. The new keypads rely on this wireless technology to coordinate with the remote and opener itself.
So, what is the cost to get someone else to install it?
If you don’t feel comfortable installing the keypad yourself you can get an electrician to do it for around $50, with the cost of installing the entire garage door opener hovering just above $300 for the national average – some installers are content with just throwing in the keypad at no cost.
Garage door openers are great – and the keypads that control them even more so as they provide convenience and security. These pads are easy to use and install – but for a small fee, you can get them installed by a professional for little to no cost.
