# Garage Door opener outet goes where?



## personalt

You know are you are a city slicker when you have no idea where to mount the garage door outlet.

Last time a saw a garage door opener was back in my childhood.

My thought is the garage door is 10 feet high, the opener sits above the door near the top of the door? Maybe 9 feet off the front wall? Outlet a little bit to the side? 

Not looking to fish it in later since it is above living space and the plan is to heavly insulate that ceiling plus double sheet rock.

I know I can surface mount with flex or condiut later but would rather not do that assuming there is a standard location.


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## thom

A standard garage door is 7' high. If your is higher, adjust.

The opener track is the full length of the door height (7') plus about a foot. The motor unit is about 10" long. So.

I mount the receptacle about 6" off center and about 8' back from the door.


Don't forget your low-voltage. One wire to the man-door into the house (for the opener button) and one to each side of the door (bottom of door) for the sensors. All terminate a couple inches from the door receptacle.


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## GregS

Holy crap! THANK YOU for asking!

I install at least a few openers a week and always having outlet issues.

Your standard Chamberlain OEM'ed operator comes with a 1 metre power cord. They state that using an extension cord could void the warranty, so a hardwired outlet is required.

So yes, 8' back from the door, centre of the car port. Other considerations are how high the ceiling is. If it's >30" there is also a high chance of the cord not reaching.

And I love what thom said, running the low voltage over to the wall control and down to the sensors. A 22g pair to each location is fine for Chamberlain OEM'ed units.

I wish production builders would pay attention to the little things like this.


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## Patrick

I always see the low voltage wire stapled to the drywall, and then painted over to ensure it sticks :laughing:


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## Magnettica

I install the receptacle, but never the LV wiring for the control. This must make the garage door opener guys feel important. By the way, what do you guys do when there is a high ceiling and the cord doesn't reach? In the past the general contractor has bought and installed an extension cord but I'm curious to know if any other professionals have a better idea for something like this.

thanks


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## Bkessler

my gd outlet has always been center at 10' back. I have never had a problem.


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## excellencee

I always install the receptacle: height of the door plus 4' and one foot offcenter. I had an opener guy ask for this and I've never had a problem since.


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## mdshunk

I always do height of door, plus 16" and 6" off center. Seems like it works out. I always do the LV, mostly because I hate the looks of it when the GDO contractor runs it. I just run 2-conductor thermostat wire, since I always have that handy for chime buttons. I run one to each side of the door, and one to the button location. I also run one between each door sensor, since I am aware of a couple brands that need a wire between each door sensor.


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## GregS

It's be nice to have the LV installed behind the drywall. I've had people ask me to do that, after the drywall is already up, and they scoff when I tell them it would be twice the cost of installing the opener itself.

I always end up stapling it as neat and tidy as their budget permits.


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## GregS

Magnettica said:


> By the way, what do you guys do when there is a high ceiling and the cord doesn't reach?


I usually tell the HO that if they want to install an extension cord after I leave, it's up to them, but I won't install it for them. I follow that up with if they do use one that 14g and as short as possible.


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## genexelectric

to magnetica high celings ? just stub the nm cable out standard 1 foot back from given height of door then just sleev with flex and metal box?? or j box it and put so cord on it?


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## GregS

What a co-incidence.. here's an opener that I hung tonight.

Electrical outlet was short by about 4" and the light was exactly where an opener would go.

I've hung several hundred openers in this builders houses over the last 5 years, and I haven't had a problem with their placements for the last few. I told the homeowners that they probably got a new apprentice to do their garage and to call their builder and see if they'll move it for them.


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## te12c02w

We used to put the receptacle 1-1/2' to 2' farther back than the door height and about 1' off center. Recently, in the last 2 or 3 years, it seems that a couple of installers have been using a standard opener length even if it is obviously longer than the door height. Don't know if that is to cut back on inventory or maybe that is what they just happened to have. Anyway, we've missed the mark by as much a 2' a couple of times because of this. Fortunately the gc has been in agreement with us about the reason. We will continue to use our regular rough in though. We just finished a rough in where the garage ceiling is 4-1/2' higher then the opener. We put a receptacle where it would have been it the ceiling had been lower and told them they would have to deal with it from there.


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## macmikeman

11 foot back from the garage door header, center line with the motor. Vaulted ceilings I will bring enough romex thru the drywall to attach a 4" square box to the motor mounting brackets so that the extension cord non option is not used. I always run the low voltage for the sensors, but I also always provide money for doing so in the proposal.


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## kcel

I always take the door height plus 4 ft. It seems to work for any size door.


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## sniperelectech

personalt said:


> You know are you are a city slicker when you have no idea where to mount the garage door outlet.
> 
> Last time a saw a garage door opener was back in my childhood.
> 
> My thought is the garage door is 10 feet high, the opener sits above the door near the top of the door? Maybe 9 feet off the front wall? Outlet a little bit to the side?
> 
> Not looking to fish it in later since it is above living space and the plan is to heavly insulate that ceiling plus double sheet rock.
> 
> I know I can surface mount with flex or condiut later but would rather not do that assuming there is a standard location.


Hire an Qualified Electrician and stop doing illegal electrical work. Or just install it at the bottom right post of the door opening.:whistling


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