Wherever you may call home and regardless of what part of the country you reside in, you are more than likely susceptible to occasional power outages. In fact, last year alone, inclement weather such as heavy winds, hurricanes and electrical storms flooded basements and scattered trees and large branches across properties leaving more than 93 percent of homeowners* with no power.
In addition to the inconvenience that a power outage can cause - from traffic jams and spoiled food to school and store closings, families who have automatic garage door openers also have to deal with heavy, immobilized garage doors compromising access to their cars, as well as secure access in and out of their homes. Considering that automatic garage door openers operate in more than 35 million homes in this country, experiencing a power failure can be especially debilitating to the majority of homeowners (70 percent**) who rely on the garage door as the primary entrance into their home.
While it's nearly impossible to predict an electrical power outage, it is possible to be prepared. The Chamberlain Group developed the patented EverCharge® Standby Power System, a battery backup feature that continues to operate the garage door opener even when the power is out, to help residents, homeowners and property managers through unforeseen, inconvenient outages.
The EverCharge Standby Power System comes standard on several professionally installed LiftMaster® garage door openers. Quiet, yet powerful, these garage door openers will supply power for up to two days, so even after 24 hours of standby time (i.e. a full-day power outage), each garage door opener will still perform 20 full "up and down" cycles.
Once power is lost to the home, a garage door opener with the EverCharge Standby Power System will automatically activate and operate so all remote controls and garage door opener safety systems, such as The Protector System® safety reversing sensors, work normally to provide homeowners with a safe, practical and dependable garage access solution even when the power is out.
"Surprisingly, nearly 80 percent of consumers are unaware that a garage door opener with a battery back-up feature is available," stated Sally Anderson, The Chamberlain Group vice president of marketing communications and customer advocacy. "Since the garage door is the largest and heaviest moving part in one's home, we always recommend a garage door opener with the EverCharge Standby Power System as an easy and reliable way to ensure security, safety and convenience as well as peace-of-mind during a power outage," continued Anderson.
LiftMaster garage door openers with EverCharge Standby Power System notify the homeowner that the garage door opener is operating under battery power with a series of recognizable, audible sounds that signal when the door is opening or closing. As an added safety feature, a flashing LED light alerts the homeowner when the EverCharge Standby Power System is charging, in use, or when the batteries need to be replaced. The battery, which has a life of roughly three to five years under normal use, is warranted for one year from the date of purchase to the original owner.
All LiftMaster garage door openers, accessories and access systems are professionally installed by LiftMaster authorized dealers. To learn more about equipping your home or multiunit residence with a LiftMaster garage door opener with EverCharge Standby Power System, visit www.liftmaster.com.
Note to editors: LiftMaster garage openers with EverCharge® Standby Power System include:
-The LiftMaster 3850 Belt Drive garage door opener with EverCharge® Standby Power System.
- The LiftMaster 3840 Screw Drive garage door opener with EverCharge® Standby Power System.
- The LiftMaster Side-Mounted Residential Garage Door Opener (model 3800) is available with the optional EverCharge® Standby Power System.
*Chamberlain study conducted by Zoomerang, Division of Market Tools, Inc., October 9-13, 2008. The nationally representative online survey was completed by 1,024 homeowners. Margin of error is (+/) 3% at the 95% level of confidence.
**NAHB Housing Facts and Trends, 2009