What is the current recommendation for Garage door opener?

I am having way to many problem with my Linear GDZ-004 garage door opener. Looking to replace it with something more reliable...

Unless it has broken, unreliability of the GDZ-004 is usually down to mesh problems. Mine is super reliable in a detached garage, but I worked hard getting the mesh to the outdoors. I would have a serious look at how your devices are placed etc and possibly adding a device or two to increase the reliability of the mesh.

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I fought with my Linear GDO's for a couple of years and I had a GE Z-Wave switches in every switch and dimmer position in the house including 3 in the garage within 15 to 20 feet of the Linear units. On top of that, I had to restart them so much I installed GE plugs in the ceiling outlets that the Linear's were plugged into. They still would fall off and require resets, usually at the most inopportune moments. Now they sit in a box where they belong as far as I am concerned. I now have 4 MyQ units and I couldn't be happier. Never a failure. That being said, Chamberlain who makes MyQ will occasionally change things that interfere with the community written apps but they always seem to make it work. It has only happened a couple of times but the MyQ app always works. There are several ways to convert most any opener to the MyQ system. You can research it but Amazon has a WiFi hub (which will control several doors by adding a door sensor) with a door sensor for $36.00. That and community apps will give you voice control over the doors among other things. That would be my recommendation.

Unfortunately, I have no idea ho to make my z-wave mesh even more strong, I have z-wave switches , outlet and dimmers through all my house in short distance from each other. One dimer practically next to garage door opener.. Even my schlage door look works fine. Z-wave sensor in mailbox works without any issues. Only garage door opener gives me problem all the time. It works fine for few week, then out of nowhere starts report open/close every 5 seconds for few hours, then reporting stops by itself. Few days ago garage door actuality opened by itself. We were out of town, my security system went off , cops were sent to check the house.... Was not pleasant...

I feel your pain. The Linears are just woefully unreliable and problematic.

I’ve had those go control openers for about 5 years now and while they have mostly been reliable, lately one has been acting up. Couldn’t communicate to it at all. Had to do a factory reset then re join the system. Had to do that a few times. I don’t think it’s mesh related as I have 2 jasco Zwave switches 10 feet away. Another Z wave switch 15 feet away in the other direction and yet another device 15 feet away ( 3210-l). All of these are in the same garage as the door opener. And after I rejoined the door opener I did a couple of z wave repairs. I think it’s just on its last legs. Gets hot in the garage in Texas weather. Next time it dies I plan on trying that zen 16 dry contact relay that was just released. The only thing that concerns me is that my go control has a tilt sensor. I presume the open close state for my go control comes from that. Not sure how to integrate that into the relay. Presume that tilt sensor talks directly to the garage door opener as I’ve never paired that as a device. ( came as part of the Lowe’s iris garage opener kit ).
So. Very interested in the replies as I’m in the same boat.
Cheers.
Mac

That happened to me once when I was using Iris. Middle of the night it opened. I even had iris look at the logs. No answer.
Hasn’t happened again that I know of though. I think that a person could use a tilt sensor to help drive a different rule. Something like If open without a command..then close. Will see what others are using.
Mac

@murzik I'm curious what problems are you having? I've had mine for ~2 years now on Homeassistant and Hubitat and only had an obvious problems that wasn't the openers fault. So what issues have you had?

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I've been using a Linear GDZ-004 controller for years, first on Iris then SmartThings and now Hubitat on each platform it has been mostly stable but it seems to drop off and stop responding anywhere from 2 to 6 months from the last time with three Z-Wave and one Zigbee repeater in the same room.

All I have to do to fix it each time though is unplug it wait a second, plug it back in then press the pairing button and it will beep once then three times and within an hour it will be fine for months again.

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I just have a normal electric garage door, and wire a z wave relay in to where the open close button is, then a contact sensor and a app to bring them together

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Mark. Do you have any logic on the contact sensor or just use it to confirm open closed?
Can you tell me what that looks like on the dash board?

That is a perfect description of mine. For a very long time now, it's been doing that. I've never had it open (or close) on it's own.

I've had the Linear GD00Z-4 for several years, long before Hubitat, but before any of that, I had a ZWave tilt sensor. It's reliable! It is what I use to send Notifications. I completely ignore what the GDO is saying. :slight_smile: Last year, I did upgrade the tilt sensor to a ZWave plus because I felt it was more important than say: an older ZWave dimmer that isn't reporting physicals. (We barely use physical switches and even more rarely a dimmer. So inconvenient to raise your arm and walk a couple of feet. :slight_smile: )

Build your own ...

Grab a couple of tilt sensors and the zooz multirelay. Local zwave control with no cloud reliance.

I had myq for a while and it gave too many problems. I just got rid of it.

I now have a zwave double plug hooked up to a few relays and soldered into a remote to control my doors with some tilt sensors. It has been very reliable. I have not had any issues.

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I have the Zooz relay already. Can you comment on which tilt sensor you’re using please.
Thanks.
Mac

I've been looking into doing something for our garage door opener. It's still dumb. It's been suggested to me to do a momentary switch on a smart plug and contact sensors to relay open or closed. I'm still looking into it, but I like the idea. I've asked the question several times. If you're away, you can simply pause that rule to keep the garage door from opening unattended.

What happens with these DIY solutions when it's time to sell the home? I can't imagine anyone wanting to carry on with my DIY projects. I expect I'll have to rip mine out 2 mins after I decide to put the house on the market.

A GDO is one of several places I don't want to have DIY... mostly because I'd cut corners. Like not having that Blinking Light and Beep for 5 seconds to warn kids and others to get out of the way. I absolutely would discard the 'only one cycle per minute' restriction. I have had the GDO tile on a dashboard right where my Thumb will land inadvertently. More than once I've clicked the OK button in the popup. Then I have to wait one full minute before I can close it again. That's frustrating for me.

I think I'd simply rip the PCB from my Linear and replace it with a Hubduino. :smiley:

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The app, not moved from st, can use one or two sensors one sensor just tells you closed and assumes open if you have two sensors you get positive open. It's my next app to move over.

You can put delays in, music device to play warning or sound a buzzy prior to closing, then after a setable time it will send a push if its not in the expected condition ie door hasn't closed for example a jamb

My DIY solution doesn't replace the basic functionality of the garage. The wall switch still functions like normal. Its sitting in a self contained box in my basement (the opener signal works down there). When I sell the house I take the box and remove the tilt sensors from the doors. If they want myq they can buy the myq addon and install it.

All of the smart devices in my place function as a dumb device too so when I'm ready to sell I can either leave the switches or take them with me and put in dumb switches. I would first check the market though and see how much more money I could get with a smart house. My blinds are the only things that will stay with the house because they were custom. But they work without a hub as well.

I do keep this in mind when doing stuff though. I don't make my DIY solutions permanent.

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At least no more permanent than a Claw Hammer can correct. :smiley:

It's possible I subscribe to the Chip Gains love of demolition.

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Well considering that my garage door openers are in different locations I’m wasting 2 relays in that Zooz zen 16. May as well use one as a buzzer! Great idea on the 2 contacts and I have a ton of them unused
Thanks