Frequently Asked Questions:

Easy installation. Quiet operation. Legendary reliability. GeniePro®garage door systems have been the No. 1 choice of homeowners and contractors for more than 50 years, making Genie® a household name and our products an American tradition.

This section provides answers to your most frequently asked questions (FAQs) about:

• Door Product Information
• Selecting the right opener
• Accessories
• Operations and maintenance
• Product programming
• Safety
• Troubleshooting
• Warranty information

You can get expert advice at:
Your local GeniePro® dealer, who will also install the door and opener for you.

Door Product Information

1. What are the standard sizes available for your residential garage doors?

 

In general, standard sizes for door widths are 8’, 9’ 10’, 12’, 15’, 16’, 18’ and 20’. However, many of our door series are available in widths to the nearest inch.  Check with your local GeniePro™ dealer about the availability of specific sizes or custom width doors.

 

2. Can I paint my garage door?

 

Yes, you can. All GeniePro™ steel garage doors can be painted with the color of your choice by using exterior acrylic latex paint. Simply wash the exterior of the door down with a mild detergent (Ivory soap, for example), then allow the door to dry completely. Apply a “liquid sander/deglosser” to the exterior of the door (available at most hardware stores or home centers) and allow that to dry completely. Finally, paint the exterior of your door with the exterior acrylic latex paint that you have selected. Do not use oil-based paint.

 

3. Can I replace a section of my door or do I need to replace the whole door?

Depending upon the damage involved to the garage door system, it is possible in many cases to replace a section of your garage door. Your GeniePro™ dealer can evaluate your situation and give you a recommendation on the best course of action.

 

4. What is R-value and how does it benefit me?

 

R-value is a standardized measurement of thermal efficiency. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating properties. GeniePro™ manufactures insulated doors with a broad range of R-values designed to meet your needs - up to 17.5.

 

5. How much does a garage door cost?

 

GeniePro™ garage doors are available in selected markets through installing dealers and GeniePro™ sales centers.The price of your new garage door is influenced by a wide range of factors, including regional conditions. Your local GeniePro™ dealer should be contacted for an accurate price for the specific product you are considering.

 

6. What maintenance does my garage door require?

We recommend you have your garage door inspected annually. A GeniePro™ dealer can give you the most thorough evaluation and perform routine maintenance as needed.

 

Selecting the right garage door opener

1. How do I select the right garage door opener?

Before selecting an opener, you will need to determine:

• The size (height, width, thickness) and construction (steel, insulated, wood) of your garage door. This will help to determine the size of the motor and type of drive needed to lift the door.  
• The clearances above and on the sides of the door opening, which will help determine where to mount the opener.
• The living spaces that are near or above the garage, which may affect how quiet an opener you’ll want.
• The safety devices, features and accessories that you want so that your new garage door system fits your needs and preferences.

2. Where can I get help in selecting a garage door opener?

Genie® has been making garage door openers for more than half a century, and can offer you expert advice about selecting and installing your new garage door opener.

Contact your local GeniePro® dealer, who will also install the opener for you.

3. What should I look for when buying a garage door opener?

Your garage door opener is an important home appliance that will get daily use for many years to come. Six factors to consider when making this important product purchase are: safety, horsepower,drive type, speed, compatibility and accessories. Each of these factors is described in FAQs 4 through 9.

4. What safety features are important?

Your garage door is the largest, and probably, the heaviest moving object in your home. So the safety features of the device that lifts and closes the door are all-important.

Safety depends on two things: the safety features the opener system incorporates, and the reliability of the opener itself.

 Safety Features - For the opener to work, certain safety devices — such as Genie® Safe-T-Beam® System — must be installed. This is true regardless of the type, size or brand of opener you choose. These safety devices are built into the garage door system to prevent the door from closing when an obstruction is in the door’s path. Genie®’s Safe-T-Beam® System keeps people, pets and vehicles safe by auto-reversing the door when an infrared beam detects any obstruction in the door’s path. Its self-diagnostic feature also troubleshoots system errors.

 Reliability - Reliable performance is as critical to a garage door opener’s safety as the actual safety devices it incorporates. Genie® is proud of our track record for high-quality openers and dependable performance. Not only have we been producing and improving openers since 1954, but we pioneered the development and application of many safety innovations and industry-firsts, such as the use of infrared beam technology as a safety feature on all of our openers.

GeniePro® also offers one of the largest selection of openers for residential applications in the world. This ensures that we have a reliable solution for every homeowner. All GeniePro® openers are assembled in the United States, and carry limited warranties that are among the best in the industry.

5. How do I know what horsepower to choose?

It depends on the size and construction of your garage door. Most residential garage door openers are available with 1/3 HP or 1/2 HP motor. A 1/3 HP motor is usually adequate for most applications. However, heavy, double-wide, or special-application doors may need the additional torque offered by a 1/2 HP garage door opener. Your  local GeniePro® dealer will help you choose the right type of motor and horsepower for your door.

6.  What’s the difference between belt drive, screw drive, chain drive?

All make for an effective garage door opener, but each has its advantages.

 Belt drives - Belt drives are ultra-quiet. They don’t use chains, so there is no noise from metal-on-metal contact. But belt drives can wear after years of use. The GeniePro® Stealth® belt-driven opener is a heavy-duty 120-kg DC motor that provides maximum lifting with ultra-quiet operation. It is capable of lifting doors up to 12’ in height (with proper rails).

 Screw drives - Screw drives — another of Genie®’s many industry innovations — features a solid-steel direct drive for increased strength. Direct drives have unmatched reliability, too. They have no belts, chains or gears to wear out. And their simplistic design — the motor shaft connects to the drive screw with a coupler — allows power to be transmitted in a straight line to maximize motor efficiency with minimal loss of torque or power. But screw drives can be less quiet than belt drives. GeniePro®offers two screw-type drives: the Excelerator® and the Screw Drive. The Excelerator® has a liner in the rail, which helps to decrease noise. Both lift doors to 7’6” in height. An extension kit is available for doors to 8’. (GeniePro® openers, which are sold and installed through your GeniePro® dealer, will open doors to 12’ in height without an extension kit.)

 Chain drives - Chain drives are among the most affordable type of operator. The Genie® ProMax® and GeniePro® Chain Glide ®available with rails that allow doors up to 12' high to be lifted. This special product is available only through your GeniePro® dealer.

7. How fast will the opener lift the door?

Genie garage door openers open doors at a standard speed of 7 inches per second. If faster opening is important to you, we recommend the GeniePro® Excelerator®. The Excelerator® opens twice as fast as any garage door opener on the market today, with opening speeds of up to 14 inches per second. It’s also ultra-quiet, thanks to its near-silent DC motor, a fully-lined rail that insulates noise and vibration, and its soft start- and-stop action.

8. How do I know if the opener is compatible with my door?

Compatibility is never a problem with GeniePro® openers. We have been developing and producing garage door openers for more than half a century, and our openers are fully operational with any standard sectional roll-up door on the market today. All GeniePro®openers are manufactured in the United States to our exacting standards, and are warranted to meet our high-quality standards for performance.

9. What accessories are available for my opener?

You’ll probably want to look at adding time-saving accessories or security enhancements for your new garage door opener. GeniePro® offers a variety of accessories for GeniePro® products, including:

• Intellicode® remote control system with 1-, 2- or 3-button transmitters, or our popular mini transmitter.
• Wireless keyless entry for convenient and secure entry without a remote controller or key
• Universal hard-wired keyless entry and deluxe wall consolefor all Series II operators
• Emergency release kit, which allows the garage door to be opened or closed in case of power failure and is a necessity for a vault-type garage
  

Accessories

1. Which Genie® remote controller will work with my opener?

It depends on the GeniePro® opener you selected. Click here to view the GeniePro® remote controller selection guide.

2. Does GeniePro® make a universal remote controller?

No. These controllers are rarely reliable because they require a correlation of radio frequencies, ranges and power requirements across a spectrum of possible combinations. A dedicated Genie®remote controller provides the standard of performance and dependability that customers have come to expect from GeniePro®.

3. Will my old Genie® remote work with my new Intellicode®opener?

It depends. Remotes manufactured after 1996 should work with your Intellicode® opener. Pre-1996 remotes use fixed-code sequencing and are not supported by Genie® Intellicode®technology. If you are unsure about when your controller was manufactured, contact your local GeniePro® dealer.

4. What is the range of my Genie® Intellicode® remote controller?

The typical range is 150 feet. The range can be affected by any number of shielding factors, including aluminum siding, coatings on car windshields, or solid walls.

5. Why are there extra buttons on my Genie® remote controller?

The additional buttons can be programmed to control multiple Intellicode® openers. Genie® remote controllers are also compatible with Johnson Control’s HomeLink® System.

6. Is my Genie® remote controller compatible with Johnson Control’s HomeLink® smart-house technology?

Certain models are. Click here to view the GeniePro® remote controller selection guide.

Operation & Maintenance

1. What is Intellicode® and how does it work?

Intellicode® is a rolling security code technology that enhances the security of your GeniePro® remote-controlled garage door opener. Intellicode® is one of our industry-first innovations and our most requested accessory.

Intellicode® offers significant advantages over conventional garage door openers that used fixed codes. These old-style openers transmit the same fixed security code each time the remote control button is pressed. Fixed codes rely on a limited number of codes. These limited fixed codes can be breached by either an unsuspecting neighbor using a controller with the same fixed code, or by hackers with less than innocent intentions.

Intellicode®’s rolling code system uses a proprietary coding system that selects a new code from 4.3 billion combinations every time the system is activated. This virtually eliminates the possibility of hacking, and helps to prevent unauthorized entry to your home through the garage.

2. How do I program Genie® Intellicode®?

To make Intellicode® fully functional, you’ll need your remote controller and to be within reach of your GeniePro® garage door opener.

Warning! Before activating the door, be sure that all people, pets, ladders, vehicles and other obstructions are cleared from the door’s path.

a. Locate the “Learn Code” button and indicator LED. Depending on the model, the Learn Code button is usually located under the light cover or at the back of the unit.

b. Press and release the Learn Code button. The indicator LED will blink at a rate of once per second. Press and release the button on the remote control you want to program. The indicator LED will glow steady. Press the same remote control button again. The indicator LED will go out.

c. To check that the button has been programmed correctly, press the button on the remote again. The door should operate. If it doesn’t operate, carefully repeat steps a through c above.

d. Repeat steps a through c for multiple doors and/or remote controllers with multiple button.

Note! Up to seven Intellicode® remote-operated devices can be programmed to one Genie® Intellicode® garage door opener. This includes a total of seven Intellicode® remotes or six Intellicode®remotes and the Intellicode® wireless keypad.

3. How does the Safe-T-Beam® work?

The Genie® Safe-T-Beam® technology uses a continual infrared beam that scans the garage door opening at all times. In order for the door to operate, the beam must be installed. Locate the beam at least 5 inches but not more than 6 inches from the floor. If the beam is interrupted by a person, animal or object, it automatically raises the garage door to protect people, pets and property.

Note! The opener will not close the door unless the Safe-T-Beam®is installed and working properly.

4. Can I turn off or remove the Safe-T-Beam®?

No. All garage door openers manufactured since 1993 require some form of safety device to protect people, pets and objects from injury or damage if they are in the door’s path. The beam must be located at least 5 inches but not more than 6 inches from the floor. The opener will not work if the beam is tampered with, removed, or otherwise disengaged.

5. How do I open the garage door when there is a power outage?

It depends on the model. You can open the door from the inside using the red emergency release cord, which hangs from the mounted overhead opener. Pulling the emergency cord straight down will release the door from the carriage, allowing you to operate the door manually. Refer to the owner’s manual for further instructions.

Opening the door from the outside requires installation of anemergency release lock (GER-2). Contact your local GeniePro®dealer to learn more about this accessory.

6. How do I disengage/re-engage the door from/to the carriage?

It depends on the model. You can disengage the door by pulling down on the red emergency release cord. View the owner’s manualfor complete instructions for disengaging and re-engaging the door.

7. How do I open the lens cover to replace a bulb?

On the Excelerator®, simply depress the two tabs that connect the lens cover to the top of the unit (chassis). The lens cover will swing open. Replace the bulb with a rough service light bulb (60-watt maximum) and close the lens cover. Rough Service, 130 watt  bulbs are recommended.

On all other GeniePro® opener models, you need a Phillips screwdriver. Remove the two screws at the top that attach the lens cover to the front panel. The lens cover will drop down like a hinge while you change the bulb. Use a rough service light bulb (follow guidelines in your owners manual for maximum wattage). Realign the lens cover and tighten down the screws.

8.  How do I replace batteries in the remote controllers?

All of your system’s remote controls — remotes, wireless keypads, etc. — use batteries. Click here to view battery sizes and installation instructions for GeniePro® accessories.

9. What is the recommended maintenance for my GeniePro®opener?

It varies by model. Click here to view a list of GeniePro® opener models and online maintenance instructions.

10. What type of lubricant is recommended for my GeniePro® opener?

For the GeniePro® Screw Drive opener, use only Genie® GLU3 or GLU4 oil. This product, which can be purchased at your local GeniePro® dealer, is packaged in individual, 0.25 ounce packages for ease of use. Do not use products such as WD-40, because they will degrade the grease and cause it to drip from the operator.

To apply the lubricant to the screw, first wipe off excess grease, dirt and debris with a soft cloth. Reapply the lubricant, using the full contents of the package. Run the opener several times to ensure that the grease is evenly applied to all surfaces of the screw. Use a cloth to remove excess grease.

Warning! Remove automobiles, bicycles and other valuable items from the garage and protect the garage floor during lubrication. This will avoid contact with oil and grease, which may damage paint finishes or floor surfaces. The Genie Company accepts no responsibility for damage caused by excess lubricant contact.

Note! If lubricant is swallowed, seek medical assistance immediately

Programming

1.  How do I program Genie® Intellicode®?

To make Intellicode® fully functional, you’ll need your remote control and to be within reach of your GeniePro® garage door opener.

Warning! Before activating the door, be sure that all people, pets, ladders, vehicles and other obstructions are cleared from the door’s path.

a. Locate the “Learn Code” button and indicator LED. Depending on the model, the Learn Code button is usually located under the light cover or at the back of the unit.

b. Press and release the Learn Code button. The indicator LED will blink at a rate of twice per second. Press and release the button on remote control you want to program. The indicator LED will glow steady. Press the same remote control button again. The indicator LED will go out.

c. To check that the button has been programmed correctly, press the button on the remote again. The door should operate. If it doesn’t operate, carefully repeat steps a through c above.

d. Repeat steps a through c for multiple doors and/or remote controllers with multiple buttons.

Note! Up to seven Intellicode® remote-operated devices can be programmed to one Genie® Intellicode® garage door opener. This includes a total of seven Intellicode® remotes or six Intellicode®remotes and the Intellicode® wireless keypad

2. How do I program my wireless keypad?

It depends on the model. View the list of models and links to online programming instructions.

Troubleshooting

1. Why is the Safe-T-Beam® light blinking?

Safe-T-Beam® is a safety device that must be installed and operating properly in order for the garage door opener to work.If the Safe-T-Beam® LED indicator is flashing, it indicates an error condition. First be sure that the lenses are mounted 6” from the floor on either side of the garage door opening. If the LED continues to flash, clickhere for a list of possible causes and solutions.

2. Why does the garage door reverse and open when I try to close it?

The likely culprit is an obstruction in the path of the door. Check for and clear any obstruction interrupting the beam of otherwise in the path of the door. If the problem persists, check to see if the red Safe-T-Beam® LED indicator is blinking. If it is, check to be sure that the lenses are mounted 6” from the floor on either side of the garage door opening. If the Safe-T-Beam® lenses appear to be installed properly, refer to the troubleshooting section of the owner’s manual for additional causes and solutions.

3. Why is the opener running but the door isn’t moving?

The door may be disengaged. Check to be sure that the red emergency release cord hasn’t been pulled. If it has, make sure the opener has stopped running before re-engaging the carriage.  How to re-engage the carriage depends on the model. View the owner’s manual for your model.

4. Why won’t the remote work?

Be sure that the remote has been properly programmed, and fresh batteries have been installed. It the problem persists, please contact your local GeniePro dealer for service.

Warranty Information & Technical Support

1. What is the product warranty for my GeniePro® product?

All GeniePro® products are warranted against defects in materials and workmanship. Refer to the owner’s manual for details.

2. How do I get service under my GeniePro® warranty?

For warranty repairs, have your model number and a copy of your original sales receipt available, then contact us about the problem you are having. A trained Genie® representative will help to diagnose the problem. If your door was installed by a GeniePro®dealer, the Genie® representative will help to arrange a service call.

3. How do I purchase repair or replacement parts for my GeniePro® product?

Through your authorized GeniePro® dealer

4. Is technical support available for my GeniePro®product?Contact your local  Genie®Pro™ dealer for all technical service questions.