Easy way to tell if the garage door was left open?

[jeff000]

My wife seems to leave the garage door open once a week and I always catch it by wonder why the garage heater seems to have been running way too long

I can figure out the how to get the garage to trip a relay or whatever part. What I am having a hard time with is what do I do in the house?

My house is new, I'm not about to slap a light bulb above the door or something. I'd like something that is hidden when the door is closed, but still obvious when it's open.
Any ideas?

 

[kaymccampbell]

If it's the man door, then they sell hydraulic door closers.
If it's the overhead, there are widgets that close the door after a timed lack of presence in the room. An acquaintance had one years ago, but I never asked much more and they never volunteered.

 

[6t7gto]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002YX7MM/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Cyberbear]

If trying to retrain the wife is not working, try installing a simple limit switch to indicate via a visible indicating light when the garage door has been left open.With a little additional work, a similar system can be made wireless, but would be more prone to error as such things can be. If you use an audible buzzer, you've got an intrusion alarm system.

 

[Cypherian]

Garage butler I think is the product. Seems they are gone but several products out there to do so .

Cypher

 

[coljar]

Don't they have a sensor built in some of the openers that you can check what position it's in with your smartphone?

 

[ripperd]

Do you want an electronics project?

You can rig up one of these with some handmade brackets.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009SUF08/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I put mine at the top edge of the door. Then you can hook it into a relay to operate a light or something when the door is not fully shut. I actually have mine hooked to a computer that sends me a text messages every few minutes if the door is open.

 

[manwithtools]

The easiest way to know if the garage door has been left open is if you don't hear a loud noise after backing your car from the garage into the driveway

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

There are many great ideas here. Here's another one: http://www.amazon.com/GT-100A-Automatic-Garage-Door-Closer/dp/B000JJJRCE

 

[Ilikeike]

I use security cameras and a smartphone app.


Garage is closed,wife hasn't gone to work yet.
Not this blurry when I look at them live.

 

[gayler]

I always know if my garage was left open because it smells like cat **** the next day, followed by finding a big pile of it on something expensive!

 

[PassnThru]

I got one of those wireless gadgets with the opener I put in the attached garage. So I put it in the detached garage but it has two doors. I bent up some wire and mounted the transmitter to that so that if either door is up it will show that on the receiver. Not pretty but effective.
View media item 6154

 

[icenfire01]

IMO lift master makes a great system. Not only can you tell if the door is open but you can even close it using their smart phone app. You can retrofit almost any door with their system.
www.liftmaster.com/for-homes/MyQ-Connected-Home

 

[wes73]

^^^^^^^^THIS. I got one as well. Works great.

 

[SHOCheapRacing]

We also moved to a battery backup door with automatic closure after 20 minutes.

Never have to worry about it being left open when not home or at night.

 

[GYPSY400]

IMO lift master makes a great system. Not only can you tell if the door is open but you can even close it using their smart phone app. You can retrofit almost any door with their system.
www.liftmaster.com/for-homes/MyQ-Connected-Home

I have this system as well.. very happy with it

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk

 

[PhantomEB]

I so need to invest in some of those liftmaster gadgets! Had to text my buddy to check on my garage last time I left for work ..... I was 5 hours away at that point!

 

[jeff000]

The biggest problem with auto closing is for the times that I want it open, and more so for when the kids leave a bike or whatever that isn't tripping the beam.


Setting up a limit switch and wiring it to most anywhere is easy enough. It's the what do I wire it to that doesn't look out of place.

I have security cameras, and smart devices. But I want to be able to know it's open without actively looking at the camera feed or my smart home app, or opening the door and looking at the garage door.

I was at first thinking of putting a red led in the hall. But every way I can think to mount it just looks out of place. Was thinking of using a cheap laser and giving it a wide beam and aiming it at the door into the garage from the first pot light. But I can't mount it in my potlights without significant modification to the light. Just has to be an easier way.

 

[dave*99]

Craftsman Wireless Garage Door Monitor - 53696 Price: $59.99
I have this unit and it works well.

 

[kabinenroller]

I had the same issue, my wife would forget to close the overhead door. I installed a limit switch on the header above the inside of the door and a red bulb inside a globe fixture that is located in the hallway in the house. Now every time the door starts to open the light goes on, it turns off as soon as the door is completely closed.

 

[kabinenroller]

Here is a picture of the globe fixture in the hallway that is activated by the limit switch. I use a red CFL in the fixture. (The photo may not look like a red bulb but it glows red)

 

[pablo94sc]

Here is a picture of the globe fixture in the hallway that is activated by the limit switch. I use a red CFL in the fixture. (The photo may not look like a red bulb but it glows red)

You sure this doesn't mean you're "open" for business?

 

[boobag]

IMO lift master makes a great system. Not only can you tell if the door is open but you can even close it using their smart phone app. You can retrofit almost any door with their system.
www.liftmaster.com/for-homes/MyQ-Connected-Home

this. but you can also just buy the wall control seperately, if you only want the auto close feature. plus it will work on chamberlain and whatever other brands are made by the same company.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B8BFG0O/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[404]

How about something that plays music or makes a sound in the house. No need for a visible indicator, hear it from anywhere.

Maybe play this on a loop.. If you hear it twice, time to go close the door.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Everyone is WAAY over thinking this. If you come home and the garage door is open, it was left open...


Tommy

 

[matt_i]

If one desired, one could set it up so the door automatically closes after a time delay so a person would just open it, drive off and not look back. Easy relay logic with a time delay relay.

Problems could arise if something got in the way of the door sensors like a piece of paper picked up by the wind.

And then there are those "not likely but theoretically feasible" situations where the car is parked half-in/half-out and the sensor is shooting (and seeing) under the car in the center of the wheelbase, and the timer gives the automation full control. To encompass all of those situations is what makes the problem hard.

 

[Squankum]

Have you tried squirting her with a water pistol?

 

[CSRPenFab]

My ATT "Digital Life" alarm system shows me if it's open through the phone app. I can then remotely close it. I can also set a program widget through the system to automatically close it after X minutes of being left open. Very handy with an often absent minded wife!

 

[zcar751]

Try one of those shock collars that is set to go off if the door is left open and she is more than a block away.

 

[CJ7VFR]

Here is a picture of the globe fixture in the hallway that is activated by the limit switch. I use a red CFL in the fixture. (The photo may not look like a red bulb but it glows red)

You should replace that bulb with a red one that flashes!!! That would be cool!

Jim

 

[Conniptor]

this. but you can also just buy the wall control seperately, if you only want the auto close feature. plus it will work on chamberlain and whatever other brands are made by the same company.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B8BFG0O/?tag=atomicindus08-20

This wouldn't work for me, as we often have leaves blow in and block the electric eye, and the door won't close until they are removed. For us we just have to watch the door close and stay closed before we drive away. We have had the door go back up because leaves blew in while we were leaving. I suppose bypassing the electric eye would fix it at the cost of removing the safety feature. And then when you smartphone your door closed it squashes the neighbor's cat or kid.

 

[chrispyny]

I can't believe no one has stated the most clear and obvious answer. Get a new wife....

Isn't this garagejournal?

 

[PassnThru]

On the attached garage the floor crowns a little in the middle so I had the force set pretty high to get good closure. Problem was, it would occasionally go back up after closing. In retrospect that was a good thing - it trained us (no water pistols or shock collars involved BTW) to never leave until the door shut completely and stayed down. It's been years since that was a problem but we still watch the door every time. It only takes a few seconds. I did, however, put a monitor on the detached garage because during the summer the doors usually stay open after I get home and sometimes I forget to close them that night. Which is sad, really, since the doors face the back of the house.

 

[Plump]

I've used the Chamberlain device (mentioned early on) for years. I definitely did NOT pay $70 for it though. Yikes!

 

[FreddiFiche]

This is what I used. Does automatic closing after one of three preset times, has a hold button if your are out in the garage, and want the door open for longer, and has a motion detector to automatically turn on the bulbs on the opener. It works perfectly.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B8BFG0O/?tag=atomicindus08-20

If you want to add remote monitoring, and the ability to close and open remotely, you can add this: (There is a free phone app that shows you the status, and you can set it up to give you a notification when the door opens and/or closes, for anytime, or a specific time range. I use it to see when the kiddo's get home)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FT4N2M/?tag=atomicindus08-20


If you want to have multiple doors, you use multiples of the first item....one for each door, and one gateway.

I highly recommend! (it Does require you have a liftmaster, or relabeled liftmaster opener though....I'm pretty sure their website walks you though making sure yours is.)

 

[Hobbit]

I can't believe no one has stated the most clear and obvious answer. Get a new wife....

Isn't this garagejournal?

That would be the most expensive fix, but lets do keep that option open.

 

[nadogail]

Ask your neighbors to phone you if they happen to notice your garage is open and unattended.

The best protection you can get is a nosey neighbor.

 

[gregtwojeeps]

Have you tried squirting her with a water pistol?

Try one of those shock collars that is set to go off if the door is left open and she is more than a block away.

 

[myredracer]

A garage door should never be set up to allow it to be closed either automatically or remotely. It should only be allowed to be closed be a switch in line of sight for safety reasons. A garage door installer would never do this for you even if asked.

Every single door and window in our house has a security alarm magnetic switch, including the overhead garage doors. A switch like in the photo was screwed into the concrete floor and the metal plate to the bottom of the door. Although for a security alarm, you could use the same (or similar) switch and wire up a remote alarm light or buzzer inside the house (and perhaps on a time delay) and/or use it to turn the heater off.

 

[mtwaterguy]

We also moved to a battery backup door with automatic closure after 20 minutes.

Never have to worry about it being left open when not home or at night.

Except for the first 20 minutes? Bad idea there.

 

[TheEquineFencer]

How about something that plays music or makes a sound in the house. No need for a visible indicator, hear it from anywhere.

Maybe play this on a loop.. If you hear it twice, time to go close the door.

LOL....IMHO...I think if it played "London bridge is falling down" would be better....