Solutions for Lincoln-induced garage door malfunctions

Published 12:46 pm Friday, October 21, 2011

You probably noted the story today on the link between the USS Lincoln and garage-door-opener malfunctions.

If you think you’ve been affected, the FCC recommends consumers contact garage-door-opener manufacturers for a solution. It may be necessary to buy a replacement transmitter and receiver that operate on a different frequency.

I wanted to add some solutions others have suggested.

Reader Mike Levin suggested that this is mainly a problem with older garage door openers that can be solved by replacing a circuit board and using new remotes. He doesn’t say if he does this for a living but he sounds like he’s been there, done that. He said in an online post, “All it takes for the problem to go away is a call to the local Garage Door Service. They have the solution and it doesn’t always require a new opener.”

David Lee of Everett had better luck with a particular brand recommended by a friend in the business. He told me in an email: “I originally purchased a unit from the big box hardware store, then one from Costco. The only unit that ended up working was a more expensive Sears craftsman model. They have changed the way that the controllers work over the years and the old ones never had a problem. Most of the newer models have a different kind of remote-control frequency than our old one.”