LESLIE: Bob in Delaware, you’ve got The Money Pit. How can we help you today?
BOB: Yes, I have a faulty garage-door opener, diagnosed by the manufacturer as having a bad circuit board. And the question I have to have is with regard to surge protection of garage-door openers. And there are two types that I can identify: one like you might use for your electronic equipment and a special garage-door opener made by a company (audio gap) Chamberlain, that has not only protection for the basic motor and the circuit board but also for the control panels.
TOM: OK. So, first of all, are you going to repair the garage-door opener and put the new circuit board in it, Bob?
BOB: Yes. Because it’s under warranty and they will replace the part for free but the labor I have to pay.
TOM: Yeah, that’s kind of an unusual thing to happen. I actually have never heard of a board like that failing but OK. It can happen.
So now what you want to do is – you’re thinking that that could have been caused by an electrical surge and you want to protect from that?
BOB: Most people I talk to do not have surge protectors on their garage-door opener.
TOM: No, most people don’t. And I would be hesitant to probably add one, because I think this is probably an anomaly. But I will say this: if you are going to put this on and Chamberlain makes one, I would definitely trust that brand. I know a lot about that brand and the people behind it and it’s a good brand. They make good products. And so, if they’re offering something that does this, I wouldn’t be hesitant to invest in it.
BOB: Yeah, that sounds good, yeah. All these little devices we have around the house – you have garage-door openers and microwaves and stuff like that – they’re all susceptible to surges of sorts.
TOM: But generally, you put surge protection on your main panel, not on – not necessarily on every appliance. And sometimes you put them on computers and that sort of thing but this is a very unusual circumstance. But if you’re going to put something on and Chamberlain makes a product for that, I would trust it.
OK, Bob?
BOB: OK. Very good. Thank you.
TOM: Good luck. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
I have whole house surge protection that was put on by the electric company and that I have been paying on for the past 10 years. Last week the power went off and when it went back on again, the garage door opener was knocked out. I called the electric company last Monday and they were supposed to get back to me but as of today, the 19th, I have heard nothing. The surge protector is 10 years old and the company said they usually replace them every 10 years. I am wondering if it just didn’t do the job because it is old and needs to be replaced. I need to hear from the electric company one way or the other as this needs to be fixed. This opener was struck by lightning two times before during storms and evidently the surge protector worked but now it didn’t.