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Buying Backup Batteries for Automatic Garage Doors

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Automatic garage doors are incredibly popular, in fact most homes will opt to have an automated door instead of a manual one. The majority (if not all) of automatic garage doors will incorporate a backup battery which will ensure the garage doors works even in the event of a power failure. Like all SLA Batteries, there may be some required maintenance to keep it operating reliably and there will probably come a time when it will need to be replaced. 

Top Maintenance Tips

  1. Regularly Inspect the Battery – get into a routine of visually and physically inspecting the battery and its setup. Some may come in its own custom housing while others may be loosely bracketed on a wall. No matter what the setup is, there may be some movement that unseats the battery, the wires may jostle loose or become corroded. Any of these scenarios could impact the role of the backup battery and will require attention.
  2. Test the Battery – Regular checks on the battery power levels will give you an idea of its performance over time and ensure everything is operating as it should particularly the power source. Levels will decrease over time and many come with built-in alarms to indicate that they have dropped below an acceptable level and should be replaced.

These 2 activities will help to ensure the backup battery is as healthy as possible and will be able to do its job when it’s needed. Garages are often a little more exposed to the conditions than the rest of the house so certainly these conditions can have more of an impact so testing regularly is a good idea especially for those people who live in areas with extreme weather conditions which may result in power outages.

Finding the Replacement Garage Door Backup Battery

When it comes time to replace the battery, the first step is finding a suitable replacement. Open up the compartment where the battery is housed and check the specs. In some instances, the battery label will show a Model number or they will display additional details like volts, amps and dimensions. The key is usually the first part of the label that will show something like DWJ12-4.5 or similar. You may also be able to search for the garage door model number and “replacement battery” to find the one you are looking for and be able to review the various pricing options. If you’re already on the BatteryClerk website, you can try a general search like “garage door replacement” and see a number of results, or you can be more specific and do something like Liftmaster 485LM. There will be a few results there as well so make sure to check the voltage and amps to fin your best match. 

If you’re browsing other website or search engines, there can be a pretty significant range of prices so do your due diligence there. 

Installing your Replacement Garage Door Backup Battery

Once your replacement battery arrives, do a thorough check to ensure everything is where it should be, and that it visually looks similar to the one you’ll be replacing. We suggest taking a photo of the current battery in its housing before your remove it.

Remove the connectors on the current battery, carefully noting where they match and take out the battery, setting it aside. Get your new replacement battery and place it carefully in the housing, exactly as the previous one was and reconnect the cables. Make sure it’s stable and close any covers. Go ahead and test your garage door to make sure it still works, then switch off the power to the door and test it again under battery power. This will be the ultimate test to ensure it works as it should. If it works, you’ve successfully switched your battery. If it doesn’t, recheck your cables or test the battery power levels to make sure that isn’t the issue. Often the garage door unit will send out a beep to alert you the battery power is low or not working. Some may have a button that you can press to test it as well.

Automatic garage doors can be incredibly handy and are typically low maintenance but every few years you’ll need to test and/or switch out your backup battery. Hopefully you’ll never have to rely on it but sometimes if power goes out during a storm, getting you and your car (or bike) safely inside during these times can be a relief.