# stupid homeowner question
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-homeowner-question/407597
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 11, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-homeowner-question/407597 "2007-06-11T18:37:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-homeowner-question/407597/1 "2007-06-11T18:37:36Z")
bear with me on this one. :rolleyes:
after 11 years in my abode, i’m finally at the point where i need to replace my garage door remotes.
there were two when i first moved in. one failed within months, the other is now at the point where the 23 year old plastic is literally disintegrating.
yes, it’s that old.
i know nothing about this, as this was my first house purchase. how do i go about finding replacements?
thanks in advance to all who take pity on me. 😃
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2007, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-homeowner-question/407597/2 "2007-06-11T18:40:10Z")
If it was me, I would look in the yellow pages for a garage door company and give them a call.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2007, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-homeowner-question/407597/3 "2007-06-11T18:42:10Z")
You’ll need the name of the automatic opener, and possibly the model number. Write these down before you start calling companies.
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### Author:  [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2007, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-homeowner-question/407597/4 "2007-06-11T18:54:28Z")
If it’s that old, you may not be able to find replacement remotes. My garage door opener is also very old, and it has a seperate unit for the remote control receiver, which connects to the main garage door opening unit. If you can’t get new remotes, you may be able to easily replace the remote control receiver (which will come with a couple of new remotes). You can get the remotes and the new receiver unit at some place like Lowes or any other home improvement store.
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### Author:  [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2007, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-homeowner-question/407597/5 "2007-06-11T19:02:15Z")
[QUOTE=engineer\_comp\_geek]
If it’s that old, you may not be able to find replacement remotes. My garage door opener is also very old, and it has a seperate unit for the remote control receiver, which connects to the main garage door opening unit. If you can’t get new remotes, you may be able to easily replace the remote control receiver (which will come with a couple of new remotes). You can get the remotes and the new receiver unit at some place like Lowes or any other home improvement store.
[/QUOTE]
\*\*how \*\* old? i’m assuming here that my place had only one previous owner before me. i’m not totally sure about that without doing research and that isn’t high on my priority list, frankly. 😛
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### Author:  [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2007, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-homeowner-question/407597/6 "2007-06-11T19:07:32Z")
[QUOTE=Scubaqueen]
i know nothing about this, as this was my first house purchase. how do i go about finding replacements?
[/QUOTE]
Have you considered [this tool](http://www.google.com/) , searching by manufacturer and model number? I did and found the two big box hardware outlets had what I needed.
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### Author:  [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2007, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-homeowner-question/407597/7 "2007-06-11T19:19:45Z")
You may be better off spending the $250 or so that a new opener costs (plus labor if you don’t do it yourself) and get not only two new remotes (that will probably have spiffy security features like rolling codes so some yahoo with a scanner can’t pick up and replay your signal to get into your garage and steal the lawnmower and bicycles, or worse, be able to work on the door into the house unseen and rob you blind) but a new opener that will likely be stronger, quieter and easier to maintain than the old one.
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### Author:  [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2007, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-homeowner-question/407597/8 "2007-06-11T20:46:58Z")
Don’t the home stores sell generic garage door remote controls? They should work with old openers, despite being modern. My HomeLink system picked up my ancient remote quite nicely.
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### Author:  [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2007, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-homeowner-question/407597/9 "2007-06-11T21:15:14Z")
HomeLink is a learning remote system for cars, much like the “universal programmable” home entertainment remotes, so it doesn’t particularly care how old the system is.
So, I suppose buying a new car with HomeLink would be another way to get a replacement remote, but it would unfortunately be large, on wheels and probably cost in excess of $20,000.
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### Author:  [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2007, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-homeowner-question/407597/10 "2007-06-11T21:37:49Z")
[QUOTE=Balthisar]
Don’t the home stores sell generic garage door remote controls? They should work with old openers, despite being modern. My HomeLink system picked up my ancient remote quite nicely.
[/QUOTE]
[http://www.amazon.com/Chamberlain-Clicker-Universal-Control-CLT1D/dp/B00006K012](http://www.amazon.com/Chamberlain-Clicker-Universal-Control-CLT1D/dp/B00006K012)
Apparently there IS such a thing that doesn’t require a new car purchase. 😛
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### Author:  [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2007, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-homeowner-question/407597/11 "2007-06-12T01:29:08Z")
Sorry. I mentioned the HomeLink as an example of cheap replacement remote controls. They’re _not_ all that fancy, and they’re just about as generic as a replacement Genie from The Home Depot.
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### Author:  [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2007, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-homeowner-question/407597/12 "2007-06-12T13:10:08Z")
Second (third or whatever) just buying a set of receivers and remotes. The receiver connects to the inside pushbutton terminals. Extremely easy to install.
Buying a new system or calling a company is overkill.
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### Author:  [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2007, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-homeowner-question/407597/13 "2007-06-12T14:09:12Z")
You really need to get a stepstool and get us the brand and model# off the unit itself. We can probably fairly quickly get you an answer as to if they still make remotes for that unit and where you can get them.
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### Author:  [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2007, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-homeowner-question/407597/14 "2007-06-12T17:05:12Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire]
You really need to get a stepstool and get us the brand and model# off the unit itself. We can probably fairly quickly get you an answer as to if they still make remotes for that unit and where you can get them.
[/QUOTE]
here’s what i got off the overhead unit’s metal plate on the back, word for word:
Touch 'n Go
Model # 1000
1/3hp 115v
60hz
6 amps
NEC Class 2 Circuit
24 volts DC Maximum
* * *
my ex said to look for the receiver - that there was a wire or something hanging from a little box on the door.
nope.
the little wire is hanging from the overhead unit.
there was nothing about the frequency either on the overhead or on the remote unit.
the remote does have the little dip pins. 9 of them with triple setting capability.
the ex seems to think either Sears or The Overhead Door Company should be able to find me something that can learn. so far today TODC is not returning my calls. havne’t tackled Sears yet.