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Garage Door Opener Installation

There’s one reason you’re seeing this tutorial today.

My wife.

Her garage door opener died about 4 weeks ago.

She told me that if I didn’t fix it I’d, ahem.., be sleeping in garage.

So, with that subtle hint I decided to do her garage door opener installation this past weekend.

You’re in luck since I also made a video tutorial showing you every step.

You can totally do this project but don’t miss the tips or the cool giveaway!!

These days I’m all about online product reviews.

When it came time to choose a garage door opener I looked to see which brand got 4 or 5 stars.

Chamberlain garage door openers simply get the best reviews by DIYers like you and me.

Chamberlain garage door openers

And that’s the reason I bought one.

Here’s the supply list for this project

  • Ladder (FREE)
  • Step Stool (FREE or Borrow)
  • Socket Wrench and Socket Set (FREE or Borrow or $20)
  • Phillips and Flat Head Screwdrivers (FREE)
  • Camera or Smartphone (FREE)
  • Cardboard Box or Wood Scraps (FREE or Borrow)
  • Chamberlain Garage Door Opener ($188 to $275)
  • Impact Driver or Drill ($99-$129)
  • Drill Bit Set ($10-$20)
  • Oscillating Multi-Tool ($49 to $299)
  • Gloves ($10)
  • 2 Foot or 4 Foot Level ($15 to $60)
  • Rubber Mallet (FREE or Borrow or $9)
  • Pencil (FREE)

I only had to use two power tools in this tutorial, meaning the installation was pretty easy.

The first step is to remove the old garage door opener.

If I can do this by myself (my wife was wrapping Christmas presents, what can I say) then I know you can do it.

Remove a garage door opener (without swearing or getting hurt!)

Okay, maybe I used one curse word.

But that was later in the installation process and I sliced open my finger.  Maybe I should get a free pass?

Anyhow, grab a ladder and position it under your garage door opener.

Place a cardboard box or wood on the ladder so that the opener is fully supported.

Support garage door opener

Open up the opener and take a picture of all the wiring.

Take Picture of Wiring

This gives you a reference for the new opener’s wiring setup.

Take out the bulbs (broken glass stinks).

Then remove all the nuts and bolts holding the opener to the support brackets.

Oh, and unplug the opener, too!!

Slowly and carefully lower the opener to the ladder and then to the ground.

Lower opener to ground

Now you can remove the rail from the bracket that’s just above the door.

Typically the rail is held in place by a clevis pin and ring fastener.

Unscrew the ring fastener from the clevis pin and pull the pin while holding the rail.

You can lower the rail to the ground and carry the old opener to the garbage.

I will say this, keep some of the old parts (like clevis pins, ring fasteners, support brackets, etc.) because you might be able to reuse them.

Now it’s time to assemble the new Chamberlain garage door opener. I think you’ll find it to be easy, especially if you’re not shooting a video tutorial, haha.

Why I love Chamberlain garage door openers (and you will too)

Here’s the deal, I spent my own $188 for this Chamberlain opener.

And you can bet that if it didn’t work or was a pain, I’d tell you.

I decided to purchase a model that uses a steel-reinforced belt instead of a chain.

Primarily because belts are quieter than chains and they aren’t as messy.

In addition, the belts are a bit easier to maintain than chains.

These are things you might want to consider when buying a garage door opener.

Pull the Chamberlain opener from the box and set it on a towel.

Set opener on towel

Assemble the rail and make sure the front rail piece’s tab faces upward (I show you this in the video).

Assemble rail system

The tab prevents the trolley (which carries the door) from disengaging from the track.

If you have trouble assembling the rail, which is made of 5 pieces, you can tap them with a rubber mallet.

The next step is to rest the rail on the opener and a box at the opposite end. You can then attach the u-bracket to the rail

You know what, this is probably a lot easier to explain via the video 😀

Check it out for all the details and to see my 3-day old beard.

Right now I’m on day six and seeing a lot of gray hairs on my face… getting older kinda stinks!

What’s Next

I know the video is a bit long but it will definitely make your garage door opener installation go smoother.

Here’s the Chamberlain Garage Door Opener I installed – it still works great.

If you’re doing a bathroom remodel and need help, join one of our online courses – they’ll make your bathroom renovation much easier!

Let me know if you have any questions and I’ll do my best to help.

Thanks as always for reading, watching, and being part of our awesome community.

Cheers,

Jeff

Chamberlain Garage Door Opener