Your garage door opener is your hero. It literally does all the heavy lifting for you. Without it, you’d have to manually lift the door posing the danger of throwing your back.
The market is flooded with garage door openers. Linear garage door openers are among the top garage door openers available in the market.
These garage door openers are reliable, durable, and very affordable. Linear garage door openers pack a lot of unique and exciting features and guarantee value for money.
However, many owners of linear garage door openers struggle with configuring and programming linear garage door openers. I wrote this article to explain how to program a linear garage door opener.
Keep on reading if you own a linear garage door opener and have struggled with programming it.
About Linear Garage Door Openers
Linear garage door openers have increasingly become popular over the years. Garage owners continue to trust the brand to deliver value.
That’s not a coincidence though. Linear garage door openers have proven to be very reliable for residential and commercial use. Every model packs a lot of power to lift the heaviest garage doors around.
Other than reliability, linear garage door openers are durable. These models can easily serve you for up to 15 years when frequently and properly maintained. They are also very affordable garage door openers and very ideal when you’re on a tight budget.
There is a lot to admire in linear garage door openers. These openers come with a lot of unique features that will excite you as a garage owner.
Linear garage door openers come in two main drive types. You can either get yourself a chain drive system or a belt drive system.
Chain drive systems use a metal chain to lift and lower the door. They are very reliable and durable. They are also affordable and have a lower cost of ownership. These systems however require frequent maintenance and are often a little bit noisier while in operation.
Belt drive systems on the other hand use a steel-reinforced belt to carry the door. They are equally strong and reliable and will last for up to 15 years. Belt drive systems require less maintenance and are extremely quiet while in operation. They are however a little bit more expensive than their chain drive counterparts.
Some models of Linear garage door openers come with a battery backup option. This allows you to continuously operate your garage door in case of a power outage in your block. The battery lasts for up to 24 hours or 50 complete cycles.
Some models are also smart and with Wi-Fi compatibility. You can easily connect the garage door opener to smart devices through Wi-Fi.
This in turn allows you to operate the garage door remotely with your phone without having to move an inch. You also get notifications sent straight to your phone and get to monitor the door and check whether it was accidentally left open.
Linear garage door openers feature the latest security features, including firewalls, passcodes, and code encryption. Some models also come with obstacle-sensing beams that prevent accidents.
How to Program a Linear Garage Door Opener
Linear garage door openers have several functionalities that need to be programmed and synced. The garage door opener comes with a wireless keypad and remote controls that need to be programmed.
Other than that, you may also program the travel and force limits of the garage door opener and set it up to work with your home Wi-Fi.
How to program a linear garage door opener remote
Remote controls get lost all the time. I have misplaced several remote controls over my life as a garage owner. The good thing is you can easily replace broken or misplaced remote controls.
Linear garage door openers normally come with two sets of 3-button remote controls. Linear garage door openers also work with most of the universal remote controls.
To program the remote control, follow the following steps:
Step 1: Climb up to the garage door opener, inspect it and locate the learn button. The button should be apparent and easy to locate. Refer to the manual if you are experiencing any trouble locating it.
Step 2: Press the learn button until it blinks. This means that the garage opener is ready to receive a signal from the remote and pair it up.
Step 3: Now press the open button on the remote control and wait for the LED light on the garage door opener to flash. Once this happens, the garage door opener and the remote control have synced. Test whether the remote is working.
How to program the wireless keypad
Linear garage door openers come with a wireless keypad. The keypad grants you access to the garage just like the remote control.
The keypad is normally installed on the wall at the entrance of the garage. Programming the wireless keypad is a simple step similar to programming the remote control.
To program the wireless keypad:
Step 1: Climb up to the garage door opener and locate the learn button. Refer to the manual in case you are experiencing trouble locating the learn button.
Step 2: Press the learn button to prepare the garage door opener for programming. The garage door opener should blink to indicate it is ready to pair.
Step 3: Walk to the wireless keypad and enter a 4-6 digit code that you’ll use to open and close the garage door. Refrain from using a very obvious combination that can easily be cracked. Also, only share the code with your family and those you want to have access to the garage.
Step 4: The light on the opener will flash when the code is accepted by the garage door opener. Test the code by entering it on the keypad and pressing the start/stop button. Repeat the process if you want to add code.
How to program automatic events in a linear garage door opener
Some linear garage door opener models are smart and can be controlled using smart devices. You can easily open and close your garage door as well as control your garage lighting through your linked smart devices.
Linear garage door openers allow you to program automatic events. To use this functionality, you must first download and install the linear app and link it with your garage door opener.
Follow the steps below to program automatic events in your linear garage door opener:
Step 1: Open the linear app and login in.
Step 2: Navigate to the menu option on the top right corner and select automatic events.
Step 3: Select the garage door opener you want to automate. A settings page will automatically pop up.
Step 4: Select the automatic timing toggle button and then select the time to automate.
Step 5: Select the event to automate and a drop-down menu will appear prompting you set the time of action. Linear allows you to automate up to 5 events including switching garage lights on and off as well as opening and closing the garage door.
Step 6: Go back to save changes and exit the app.
How to program the travel limit
The travel limit regulates the distance the door travels while opening and closing. If your garage door opens a little and then stops, it is probably a travel limit setting issue.
To program the travel limit of a linear garage door opener, you will first need to locate the adjustment knobs or screws on the back or side of the garage door opener motor.
The garage door opener has two limit switches – the open limit and the down limit. The open limit needs adjustment when the door opens halfway and then stops while the down limit is adjusted when the garage door doesn’t close entirely.
To set the travel limit, you’ll first need to measure the gap when the door opens or closes halfway. Climb up to the garage door opener and locate the travel limit knob.
Turn the up limit switch clockwise to increase the opening distance and anticlockwise to reduce the distance. Do the same for the down limit switch and set it accordingly.
How to program the force limit
The force limit regulates the power released by the motor to open and close the door.
Increasing the force limit increases the power applied to the whole system, therefore, making the door open up quicker. A lower force limit on the other hand reduces the power applied to the system making it open up slower or fail to open at all.
The garage opener has an open force knob and a close force knob. The open force knob regulates the force applied when the door is opening while the close force knob regulates the force applied when closing the door.
To program the force limit, climb up to the garage door opener and locate the adjustment knobs. Both knobs have directional stickers to guide you on what happens when you turn them on either side.
Normally, a clockwise turn increases the force limit. It is however important that you confirm with the directional sticker attached to the garage door opener.
Turn the appropriate knobs in the right direction to adjust the open and force limit.
Do not set the force limit too high as it could cause your door to break or get damaged by hitting the floor too hard. Don’t set it low either as your door won’t be adequately powered and might even fail to open.
Test to see whether the adjustments are working and adjust further if need be.
Frequently Asked Questions
Programming a linear garage door opener is a simple and easy task. Yet, most garage owners still get it wrong. Here are the frequently asked questions on how to program a linear garage door opener.
Q: What do 3 flashes mean on a linear garage door opener?
Three flashes on your garage door opener indicate that the safety beam is obstructed. Check to see whether the sensors are aligned and clear any obstruction on the door’s path.
Q: Do both garage door sensors need to be green?
No. each sensor will usually have its different light. The one with a green light emits the infrared ray while the receptor always produces a red or yellow light to show that there is no obstruction on the door’s path.
Q: Are Linear garage door openers Wi-Fi Compatible?
Yes. Some models of linear garage door openers are Wi-Fi compatible. They can be linked to smart devices and operated remotely.
Q: How many digits should I use on a wireless keypad?
The wireless keypad accepts a combination of 4-6 digits. Ensure that the combination is not very easy to guess and that it is a number you can remember. Only share the combination with those who should access your garage.
Q: How do I reset my garage door program?
To reset your garage door program, access the garage door opener and press the learn button. Wait for the LED light to blink and then press the button to reset and reprogram.
Wrap Up
Linear garage door openers have become very popular over the past few decades. They offer strength, durability, and many advanced features to be desired.
Programming linear garage door openers is a simple and easy task. Just climb up to the garage door opener and locate the learn button, press it to activate the learn mode, and program the buttons on the remote control. It’s as simple as that.
I hope this article helps you with how to program a linear garage door opener. Let me know how it goes in the comment section below.
