If you need to replace your garage door remote, or you merely wish to buy an additional one, you need to be sure you get the right one. And that can, to all intents and purposes, be a somewhat confusing process.

Each different manufacturer make their own replacement remotes, while you can also get a universal remote, which can make life that much easier.

Prior to making the investment, you should determine the features you require and also the size of the remote.

A full-size remote easily clips onto the car visor, which is convenient, but it can become a security risk should the car be stolen. Mini-remotes, on the other hand, can clip onto your key chain, and are more convenient.

Find the Information

If you check the garage ceiling for the motor unit, or, if you look at the external receive which is near the wire antenna, you can find the model and manufacturer information.

By using the manufacturer’s information, it should be relatively easy to invest in an exact replacement remote by matching model number and brand, then buying directly from the manufacturer’s representative. Or, you could perhaps get one from your local hardware store, and, if not, search online.

Universal Garage Door Remotes

The universal garage door remote control allows you to program it to suit most brands of the more modern garage door openers. You still, however, need to know who the manufacturer is, to ensure that the remote will function appropriately and also to correctly program it.

The Buttons

For obvious reasons, the number of buttons the remote has will be determined by the number of devices you need to control with it. If you have a couple of garage doors and a garage light that is remote-controlled, you’ll need three buttons for the purpose.

Garage door remotes are generally available with anything up to four buttons.

Programming the Remote

Programming the remote is pretty simplistic if you manage to get a remote for your particular garage door brand. All you do is to press, hold, then release the buttons, given the pattern that’s specified in the instructions. After which, the remote will automatically determine correct radio frequencies to suit the garage door opener.

Universal remotes though, are somewhat more complicated. First, you must set the remote’s dip switches, then the radio frequency. The universal remote will come with a set of programming instructions to help you progress with the dip switches and setting the frequency.

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