Automatic garage door openers not only make it easier to operate your garage door, but they can also keep your home safe from unwanted visitors. If your garage door opener is an older model, it might not perform the necessary functions to keep your garage door safe from crime or damage. Here problems associated with an old or bad automatic door opener.

Your Home Becomes Vulnerable to Theft

Your automatic opener also relies on special built-in codes to keep your home safe. If the opener loses its security measures, it can cause a number of dangerous situations to occur, including crime.

Many of today's home invasions, thefts, robberies, and burglaries occur through the garage. Thieves can break the fixed codes produced by your opener and store them in a phone or another device until later. Criminals may also access your garage if the opener fails to safeguard or close it all the way. Thieves can also slip pass your partially opened door and hide in your garage or in the rooms inside your house.

Along with criminal activity, a bad automatic door opener can damage your garage door itself.

Your Garage Door Parts Show Signs of Strain

Garage door openers can go bad if something goes wrong the garage doors they support. Garage doors rely on motors, chains, springs, and other crucial components to operate. If the parts deteriorate, break, or suffer from long-time wear and tear, the opener won't perform properly. For instance, your garage door springs can weaken and potentially crack or break if they sustain too much stress and tear.

If your garage door opener doesn't lift your garage door properly or exhibit other serious problems, contact a garage door repair technician right away. A technician can inspect the opener and garage door's parts for excessive strain and damage. If the garage door is to blame for the opener's problems, a technician can repair it. If the opener is the cause of the problems, a contractor can replace it instead.

It may be in your best interest to replace the opener and repair the garage door at the same time. A contractor can discuss the pros and cons of doing both jobs simultaneously. If you have concerns of any kind about the work, don't hesitate to speak to a contractor right away.

If you're tired of dealing with an old automatic door opener or need information about securing your garage door properly, contact a company like Georgia Garage Doors Inc. today.