Call: (954) 830-9661

 You’d think your garage door remote isn’t of interest to thieves, but you’d be amazed at how often they’re stolen. If you’ve been the victim of thieves, or even if you’ve just lost your door opener, you’ll be worried about your home being a risk. There are options for you, though. Here’s what to do if your garage door opener is stolen.

Why Are Garage Door Openers Stolen?

Garage Door OpenerBy their very nature, garage door openers tend to stay in your car. How else will you get into your garage otherwise? However, you may be confused if someone’s broken into your car and stolen the opener, but not the car itself. Why would this happen?

Many modern cars are more difficult to steal than before. Tracking systems will check exactly where the car is once they’ve been activated by you, so they won’t get far with it before they’re spotted. Modern locking systems can make it almost impossible to steal the car without the key, too. In short, your just may not be worth the risk.

That doesn’t mean that it’s not worth going through your car, though. There’s plenty in there that can lead thieves onto a bigger haul. They’ll get in and steal the garage door opener, and look for registration documents that lead them to your house. That way, they have an address and a way to get into your home.

Prevention Is Better Than Cure

This sounds scary, and it is. However, it’s simple to avoid this happening to you. You can take some preventative measures in order to stop thieves getting their hands on your garage door opener:

  • Keep valuables out of sight: If you have anything valuable in your car, keep it out of sight. Even better, keep it out of your car altogether. Most thieves operate on impulse, and if there’s nothing worth having in your car, they’re much less likely to touch it.
  • Always lock your doors: Even when you’re at home, make sure that your doors are locked. You’d think your car would be safe on your driveway, but thieves are known to try doors in residential areas. Lock the doors and deny them access.
  • Use a key ring door opener: Most people hang their door opener on their visor, but it presents a clear target to thieves. Instead, any good garage door repair company will recommend you use a key ring door opener instead. You can take it with you, and keep it safe.

What To Do When The Garage Door Opener Is Stolen

So, your garage door opener has been stolen. It’s obviously a worry as now someone you don’t know has access to your home, leaving it at risk. Thanks to modern technology though, it’s very easy to keep those thieves out of your home. Here’s what you should do.

  • Fort Lauderdale garage door serviceDeprogram your door opener: This is the first thing you should do, as soon as you realize that your garage door opener is gone. This is much easier to do than you’d think. All you have to do is find the correct button on your door opener, and hold it for a few seconds. This will deprogram all openers associated with the device, meaning the stolen opener is now useless.
  • Reprogram existing door openers: Now, you’ll need to reprogram the door openers you still have, to ensure they work. The best way to do this is to refer to the manufacturer’s instructions. If you don’t have the manual to hand, search for your model of door opener online and you’re bound to find it.
  • Get help is you need it: Having trouble with deprogramming your door opener? Not a problem. Now’s the time to call your local Fort Lauderdale garage door service for help. They’ll most likely treat this issue as an emergency, as someone else how has access to your house. They’ll come and reprogram the door opener for you, keeping the thief out and giving you peace of mind.

As you can see, it’s easier than you think to keep your home safe in the event of your garage door opener being stolen. Take precautions, and it may never even happen to you.