Got a call while at work yesterday...

[TurnipTruck]

"Dad, why is the garage door open?"


My 20yo daughter and her boyfriend had stopped by to finish the last bit of sanding the brand new sheetrock in my brand new 4-car garage and the wife's garage door was wide open in -20 F weather, and had been open for at least 7 hours. She knows to watch the door go down, but built-up ice apparently reversed the door milliseconds after she turned her eyes away.

The consequences:
The $300 dehumidifier reservoir froze solid and broke.
The $80 programmable thermostat is totally blank and nonresponsive. Past experience with it taught me that it turns the furnace off below 30 F anyway, so at least I wasn't heating all of Alaska for at least 6.9 of those 7 hours the door was open. A new $30 brainless Tstat got the 75K Modine back on and the building 70 degrees warmer in only two hours.
I was planning to prime/texture/paint the drywall this weekend, but the previously-mentioned brand-new sheetrock has 16' of brand-new cracks, so I get to fix those today so I can keep on schedule.
Nothing was stolen!


So: What can I do to prevent this from happening again?
A low-temp phone alarm needs a phone line, and the new ethernet/phone/satellite/alarm conduit is full of hard water for the next 7 months.
Door switches and flashing strobes?
Iphone alerts triggered by temp and door switches?
Irregular beatings?
Do the Chamberlain openers have a wifi status bit?
Go back to manual operation for the duration of winter?

How have you guys dealt with this problem?

 

[RedAggie03]

Live in Texas? LOL

No ideas man, but glad to hear you did not get anything stolen. My brother in law lives in Yellow Knife - it's extreme up there in the winter!

 

[61falcon]

i hate those "calls at work". mine was a call from my dad asking me where my car trailer was. the answer....stolen.

 

[Rodger]

Maybe ask the wife to make sure the door closes and STAYS closed??

 

[akdiesel]

I am constantly turning around to see if I closed the damn door on the shop.
For winter the temp signal would be great but for the summer months it wont be that much use.
I have seen aftermarket door sensors that let you know of the position of the door through you phone. I am looking at this feature for winter and summer months since cold is one issue and theft is another.

 

[WOPR]

Sometimes the best solution is the simplest: MAKE your wife understand how important it is to WATCH the door close.

I had a similar struggle with my g/f (leaving garage open) - and although I don't have arctic temps to struggle with in FL, I do have crackheads two doors down.

I just had to explain to her (as calmly as possible) that we are risking every material possession we have ever worked for by leaving the door open. She forgot once or twice more, so far the third time has been the charm. (probably 9 months since the last "incident")

 

[justsam]

Do you have or plan on a security alarm?

I have switches on my garage doors, and if your case should occur there will be an alarm sent after the exit delay has expired for that door should it still be open.

Modern system make use of your smart phone, and can even allow you to remedy the door issue remotely.

 

[Silver6.0]

Sometimes the best solution is the simplest: MAKE your wife understand how important it is to WATCH the door close.

I had a similar struggle with my g/f (leaving garage open) - and although I don't have arctic temps to struggle with in FL, I do have crackheads two doors down.

I just had to explain to her (as calmly as possible) that we are risking every material possession we have ever worked for by leaving the door open. She forgot once or twice more, so far the third time has been the charm. (probably 9 months since the last "incident")

Same here only with leaving the stove and curling iron on and explaining how I don't want to burn our new house down!!!

 

[Glassdave]

man that reminds me of the time i came to my shop and found the fourteen foot overhead door was open all night on the back of my building. First though was i got robbed but found nothing out of place. I put the door down and when it hit the ground it went right back up. Turned out there was a small piece of masking tape stuck to the seal and when it came down it broke the beam sending the door back up, when i put the door down with my remote i remembered it moving down but then pulled away. Now when i use my remote to close up i watch it close completely lol . . . . lesson learned i guess.

 

[Cardboard Man]

Sensors/technology will fail. I'm jumping on the simpler-is-better-bandwagon. Whoever is the last one out, wait the extra 10 seconds to watch the door close. Free and easy.

 

[bazzateer]

Maybe ask the wife to make sure the door closes and STAYS closed??

^^^^ This! Definitely the cheapest but perhaps the hardest and least reliable.

 

[blackgold]

the new craftsman GJ openers have wifi and an app to control it (it's called assurelink I believe). I'm the one that leaves mine open sometimes.. :/ SO used to not having one that I've forgotten a time or two. If you've already got internet to the house then that might be an alternative.
Brian

 

[ratdoggy]

Google garage butler. I bought one and it seems to be the ticket. I haven't hooked it up yet tho.

 

[southalabama]

Take the automatic door opener off.........she will know when its up and down.

Not sure the result on the marriage of making her get out in the cold.

 

[58Yeoman]

I do like the others and just wait to make sure it closes and stays closed before I leave; so does the wife.

 

[kbs2244]

Behavior modification is the cheapest in dollars but the hardest to do and can be expensive in relationships.

I just cannot believe the arguments I get into over trying to beat a red light.
The standard red light is red for 30 seconds!
Why risk your life for 30 seconds?
(Yeah, I know. The guy in front of you ,who slipped trough, will be way up the road in 30 seconds. But it is still only 30 seconds.)

The phone calling gadgets seem to be your best buy. But I would buy 2. One for her side and one for yours. Just to show your “gentle side.” If you can, get her side to call both your phones. And get one that allows you to call it for status. And don’t tell her you can check up on her.

 

[ZRX61]

Maybe ask the wife to make sure the door closes and STAYS closed??

This.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Move to Southern California, hah ha. (Sorry, just what you needed huh? A smartass when you already have damage)

It sounds to me like the only real thing to do is make certain anyone closing the door waits the extra few seconds to see it stay closed. Either that or some sort of Rube Goldberg (read, "expensive and probably MORE unreliable) contraption to heat ice that could cause the door to reverse or some sort of alarm system. This is one of the times when a "K.I.S.S." sysem will work best, Keep It Simple, Stupid.

 

[djjsr]

A few years ago, my door (16') froze to the floor. The opener didn't care and proceeded to destroy the door and trackwork.

Now with the new door I spray de-icer on the weatherstrip and concrete where the door meets the floor, every couple of days when the weather is bad. It does a good job of keeping snow and ice from building up.

I always wondered why there's an adjustment for "opening force".

 

[samwe]

Make her park outside? Keep the ice cleared out from under the door?

 

[slickgt1]

Garage Butler.

 

[rlitman]

A few years ago, my door (16') froze to the floor. The opener didn't care and proceeded to destroy the door and trackwork.

Now with the new door I spray de-icer on the weatherstrip and concrete where the door meets the floor, every couple of days when the weather is bad. It does a good job of keeping snow and ice from building up.

I always wondered why there's an adjustment for "opening force".

You know, I've been doing this to my car doors for years, but never thought about this on the garage door. That'll be done tonight. Thanks!
Yes, you should adjust the opening and closing force to the minimum required.

I don't think a Garage Butler would have helped, as the door was jammed by ice, and not just inadvertently left open.

 

[Nighttrain]

Make her park outside for the winter!

 

[boosteddsm92]

Modern alarms have the cell service built in. I just got and installed a FrontPoint system. REALLY nice. You can get temp sensors, garage door sensors, etc. I have mine setup to send me a text and email if the garage door has been open for more than 1 hour. You can have it alert you whenever you want, ie every time it opens, every time it closes, etc. The smartphone app is great as you can remotely arm/disarm, see sensor status, etc. In your case it would have told you if the temp got below your set threshold and would have told you that the garage door was open at such and such a time and when/if it closed. I have no affiliation w/the company, just a satisfied customer!

 

[CaptRick]

I disconnected the garage door openers about 5 years ago. The doors are the old, heavy, one piece, overhead head, non roll up style. (I also got tired of walking all over for who had the remotes last.) Now I'm pretty much the only one who uses the garage.

 

[barks]

Security camera--to--computer--to-- smart phone. Take a look once in awhile.

 

[Steevo]

Too much technology.
I pull the rope, bring the door down in contact with the slab, step on it so I can slide the manual deadbolt in place.
It can't "auto-reverse".

 

[DamienM]

Take a look at "The Nest" Thermostat. I have one that is in sync with my smartphone and is able to be adjusted via wifi. This thermostat monitors patterns of use as well so it is also able to self adjust after it is done learning usage patterns. It is a fantastic product not to mention it looks great! Take a peek at it, Thay way next time you will notice on your phone its telling you your temp has dropped and that the heat is kiching on.

Its out of stock due to selling out but will be available again soon. It is also on ebay for more than list price if your really wanting one.

Damien M

 

[HVAC Phil]

Make her get up earlier, so she isn't in such a rush to leave without paying attention to the door going down.

 

[PrecisionTools]

Put something valuable of hers in the garage/workshop...

 

[Mstrfxit12]

This might help you out.

http://www.smarthome.com/7137/Autocloser-Garage-Door-Timed-Closer/p.aspx

 

[moonlight_ken]

Actually there is a solution that will call you via a pre-paid cell phone.

I own a lake house in Michigan and I currently live in Texas. We installed this last summer and it's set for 50 degrees. If the temp drops or the power is off for more than 30 minutes I get a call.

I can tell you it works really well... I got a call at 5am 2 weeks before Christmas and the temp had fallen. A call to my HVAC company was all I needed to do... they went out and found the pressure tank on my boiler had ruptured. The $350 I paid for the monitor and cell device paid for themselves!

http://www.diycontrols.com/p-6977-cellular-freeze-alarm-intermediate.aspx

 

[mmb617]

Put something valuable of hers in the garage/workshop...

I like this one.

I was thinking that it's pretty bad if the wife can't even be trusted to make sure the door's closed before she drives off. Maybe she just needs an incentive?

 

[Kevin54]

You may be able to adjust the down pressure on the door so it is not so sensitive and goes back up. You're not the only one this has happened to and won't be the last.

 

[5lima30]

A multi-faceted low tech approach might be to do away w/ garage door opener and programable T-stat coupled with wife and kids helping w/ the repairs might cure them of doinf that again.

 

[Lotek]

Make her park outside? Keep the ice cleared out from under the door?

Try this if you dare...

Why is it so hard to make some people understand that the details are important. "How long has the check engine light been on?" "A couple of days, why?"

 

[Nophix]

I have a similar gripe with my wife. I also have the "make sure the door is clear of obstruction because the cold messes with sensors" argument.

Ask me why I had to rebuild the top of the door where it was ripped apart trying to close on a scooter...

I hate cold weather.

 

[TurnipTruck]

--UPDATE--
We textured and painted the next weekend right over the new sheetrock cracks and called it good.
The dehumidifier still works; no damage to its reservoir.
The weather warmed 50* F and the ice melted under the doors.
The door openers don't have a tweakable force setting, so we will have to chip ice when it gets bad.
We put her exercise equipment in her bay as a door closing incentive.
A low temp/ flood phone alert will go in this spring with the "flood" contacts monitoring door position.
The CCTV will finally get internet access.

 

[Jazz]

You could simply add a light inside the house that shows when the garage door is open. That way if it doesn't go down there's at least a visual indicator that it's not down.

 

[darkk]

Sometimes the best solution is the simplest: MAKE your wife understand how important it is to WATCH the door close.

I had a similar struggle with my g/f (leaving garage open) - and although I don't have arctic temps to struggle with in FL, I do have crackheads two doors down.

I just had to explain to her (as calmly as possible) that we are risking every material possession we have ever worked for by leaving the door open. She forgot once or twice more, so far the third time has been the charm. (probably 9 months since the last "incident")

Im such an ******* about all my tools and equipment,hot rod,motorcycle, etc....we had this conversation ONCE about 35 years ago. She hasn't made that mistake a second time....Im still (secretly) sorry about that conversation.