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Calif. garage doors now require a battery back up

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Yes - how dare those idiots try to make life safer :rolleyes:


This is an issue with the unit, not with the concept. Maybe should have researched a little better.

If all the single family houses in California replace their lead-acid garage batteries at the recommended 2 year interval, that's over 11 million pounds of lead a year, most of it going into landfills.

The odds of you being in a house fire in your life are so small as to be nonsensical. Well, unless you deliberately demand living in a very high risk chaparral or coastal desert area.

They would save more lives by making you wear a helmet when driving a car and it would be cheaper per life. But that is silly right? Or do you wear a helmet driving?

Perhaps we need to all carry rattlesnake bite kits also.

Concerning the design flaws that exist in many openers, a rechargeable lithium battery would last 10-20 years and be less toxic to the environment. My smoke alarms are this way. My garage door batteries are a convenience that is rarely used.

The greenest, cleanest, and cheapest solution would be to require the release handle to be no more than 36" above the ground mounted on the door itself. A pulley, longer rope, and eyebolt would be the cost.
 
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It’s a debate about nothing. Our house came with crappy Chamberlain garage door openers and they come with batteries and that was a decade ago. If the battery wears out the thing makes a beeping noise every 5 minutes that drives you bonkers until you realize where it is. Why people couldn’t get out of their garages is beyond me but maybe they were disabled or clueless. The latter could easily be in this day and age.
 
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Why people couldn’t get out of their garages is beyond me but maybe they were disabled or clueless.
Or elderly or a whole host of other reasons. Most people who post in an automotive forum will be up on these types of things. But there are many for whom, while in a panic situation, wouldn't think of the possible options. So I guess the clueless just deserve to die.
 
Ryobi made one for a while that takes their standard tool batteries. Lithium Ion 18v 3wh, stays charged, easy to swap out. Can rotate it with other tool batteries so one does not stay charging forever. Seems to be discontinued but maybe other GDO manufacturers will follow suit and stick use standard readily available tool batteries, maybe through a partnership.