I’m about to purchase a new garage door and opener. I’ve been researching online about various options that would be compatible with smartthings. Here is what I’m gathering so far
the Chamberlain MyQ Garage opener that has the wifi built into it wouldn’t pair with Smartthings. This would be the easiest option if it did work because it’s a highly rated model and wouldn’t require purchasing and installing a separate wifi communicator.
GoControl Linear Z wave opener should work, but the reviews on Amazon look a little iffy. I’d have to figure out what opener it’s compatible with. For example, I don’t know if it would be compatible with the Odyssey 1000 unit being offered by Overhead Doors or the Vanguard opener being offered by Apple Door Systems.
Garadget - I believe this would work too, but I’d have to figure out the compatibility issues here too.
I don’t even know how much I’ll care about using automations with it, although I think it would be really nice to have the garage opening past sunset trigger a light turning on in the house. I’d also like to be able to check whether the door is closed when we’re out of town bc we’ve twice left it open by accident.
I’ve been using the GoControl Linear Z wave for almost 2 years now and it has been flawless.
I have my garage door open when I’m approaching the house and after I have left the house I have a piston that checks to make sure the garage door is closed. I also get reminders if the garage door stays open and finally, if the garage door opens when we are in bed all hell breaks loose.
I was in a very similar situation to yours. Once I sat down and really thought about it, I decided that although I desire smartthings, it wasn’t as much of a priority as I had originally thought. My number one priority was a reliable unit that allowed me to check if my garage door was open or closed, and control it remotely when away from the house.
I went with the Nexx Garage. They are set to release smartthings integration sometime in 2018. What drew me to that unit was the very strong reviews.
It does support auto open location so that when I am driving up it will automatically open.
I love the Alexa skills.
I like the logging so I can see when it was opened and closed.
I can share access, which is nice when I’m away but want a neighbor to have access if need be (pets, plants, etc). Then revoke when I return.
Able to activate my garage from anywhere via the app.
Their tech support is great. Downside is it’s email support, but they respond very quick.
Notifications when open / closed and reminders that it has been left open (all able to turn off or on as desired)
I was lucky and it worked out of the box with my unit, so YMMV, but I know that as of a couple of weeks ago they were offering to modify a remote door opener free of charge if you send them one (so that the unit triggers the remote instead of the overhead unit) - you would simply sit the remote on top of your unit and change the batteries every couple of years. (There’s also several Youtube videos on how to diy this).
Again, not currently supporting smartthings was the only con, but I decided that can wait until later this year or until someone writes custom code.
What model are you talking about. There are plenty of people using the MyQ Lite SmartApp who have a Chamberlain MyQ Garage door opener. I myself use the MyQ Hub ($99) attached with my current LiftMaster garage door opener for over a year and it has been solid.
just use a smart plug outlet or smart outlet in the garage. Hook a 12 volt transformer to it and wire a relay to the transformer. When power is at the smart plug, then it activates the relay which close the circuit between the two wires that you put in with the other two wires where you wall switch wiring goes into the opener. you will have to turn it off and then on again to cycle the door the other way.
An open/close door sensor on the garage will send a signal to ST and you would know if the door is open or closed.
You can also just put a camera in the garage like I did so you can make sure the door is closed or not
I’ve used the GoControl unit with no issues for about a year. Like @johnahesch, I set up a piston to tell me that I’ve left the door open if no one is home (and to attempt to close the door). I also have a piston that lets me know if the door has been left open more than 10 minutes while someone is home. Kids don’t tend to remember to close the garage door. Finally, I have a piston that turns lights on in the house if the door is opened between sunset and sunrise.
We have split garage doors at my house, and we’ve had two Garadgets hooked up for several months now. The actual openers are different, my wife’s is newer than the one on my side. It’s an interesting situation as her’s is a Security+ 2.0 opener, so the Garadget can report the status of her door, but can’t control it.
There’s apparently a workaround involving connecting a security+ 2.0 remote in between the Garadget and the opener I just haven’t taken the time to do it yet.
Overall I’m pleased with how the Garadget is working. Had a small hiccup when setting up both devices (got all the way through setup and then it threw some error) but I just ran through the set up again and everything worked.
This is the same model, different packaging as the Z Wave Garage Door Opener I got from Lowes. Back in the “Dark Ages” (before I saw the light and switched to ST), it worked adequately with my Iris system and I could control it via Alexa and IFTTT. Now that I’ve been enlightened, it’s on my ST hub and I’m using the Automated Garage Door Opener code and it’s working wonderfully for me! I understand that ST integration isn’t your priority now. It wasn’t mine when I got mine from Lowes. I was happy that I could ask Alexa to close the door if it was left open. But once I saw all the wonderful things that the Automated Garage Door Opener app could do, I’m a big fan now!
I am also using the Lowe’s/Iris branded Linear Garage Door opener and I am very happy with it - very reliable.
Back on the Vera setup, I had a DIY setup with a Mimo Relay and a EcoLink tilt sensor - very buggy. But I did keep the EcoLink tilt sensor for verification that the door is in fact closed. The MimoLite now sits on the kitchen counter waiting for its new assignment.
I have an “older” Chamberlain garage door opener that I bought about 8 years ago for my detached shop and I’ve been using GoControl with it for the past 2 years with no issues. I just wired it right across the two control wires from the normally open push button switch inside my walkthru door. Opens and closes as normal with the door remotes, I get a reminder if it is left open after sunset, get a text if it is left open when I leave the property, works with SHM. All functions are working well through SmartThings App . Since I don’t park my car in my shop, I purposely did not set it up to open on presence. Likewise I did not set it up to close when I leave, in case I left something in the doorway, but to send me a notification if I left it open. I can then choose to close it via the app if desired.
Thanks for all the feedback. I’m now mostly focused on opener/motors that have wifi capability built in. The options are difficult to compare, and from what I can tell none of them would integrate with ST. But, maybe that’s ok. It is difficult to compare the specs of these items bc the information isn’t on my door companies’ web sites.
options are
Odyssey 1000 with external wifi box, ohd anywhere
LDCO850 Linear with integrated wifi with spott (whatever the heck that is) uses Linear Pro Access mobile app. Says it opens/closes when you arrive/leave hands-free. Compatible with alexa/google, ifttt.
Liftmaster 8365w with integrated wifi MyQ Security+ 2.0
I could also get them to install a non-wifi version of the opener and then buy a separate wifi unit to wire to it, but that seems unnecessarily complex I think.
I feel like I should probably go with one of the two options that have wifi integrated, but I have no idea how to compare the features of the Linear and Liftmaster systems. I don’t think either works directly with ST.
The features I want are:
close the door remotely if I leave and realize I left the door open
open and close hands free when I arrive/leave
less important, but would be nice to receive alert if door is open at night so that I remember to close it before bed
Other features that would be nice are
turn on indoor light when door opens after sunset. Would the Linear LDCO850 or the Liftmaster 8365w be more or less likely to allow this type of thing, ideally through ST?
It’s looking like I probably will end up with a MyQ unit, so it’s great to hear that you’re happy with it - the opener will have MyQ integrated with no separate box needed. Do you have the MyQ controlled somehow with ST or do you just have to use the MyQ app.
And, with the MyQ app, is it possible to remotely open and close, and have automated open/close upon arrival/departure without paying a subscription monthly fee? Thanks for any insights!
Yes - MyQ is integrated with SmartThings via the MyQ Lite SmartApp
I don’t ever use the MyQ Native app - ever. It has no purpose once integrated with SmartThings.
Yes - I have Routines and Pistons setup that automatically control the opening / closing of the door. I do not recommend automating closing of the door when you are not able to visually see (safety), but that’s another conversation. When I get within 2 blocks of my home, mobile presence is detected by SmartThings that I have arrived and automation disarms my system, unlocks the garage inside door and the garage door opens, and I receive a welcome message on speakers in the house and if it’s after dark, lights come on.
No - You do not need to pay the subscription service. However in addition to the MyQ unit and the sensor that it comes with, you are going to want to purchase a separate sensor (St Multipurpose, Ecolink Tilt Sensor, etc) which you can read through in the main thread for MyQ Lite and post more questions there.
Because ST doesn’t have access to the API at Chamberlain anymore (hence the subscription fee now), the additional sensor allows MYQ Lite to keep track of the status of the MyQ device (Actual Garage Door created as a device in ST), ultimately helping it to keep the Status of Opened / Closed in check and in sync because MyQ can’t poll against Chamberlain.
There are two SmartApps in GitHub for this. The Sensor version and the No Sensor version. Get the additional sensor and then install the Sensor version.
Here is the official thread for MyQ Lite. Read through the very first post and what I have said above will make more sense:
Thank you! This makes me very happy to hear. I’m very grateful for your detailed reply. I had to read it a couple times to fully process. I will proceed with purchasing an opener with MyQ integrated and then figure out how to get it linked to ST. I have a Visonic door/window sensor, so it would be cool if I could use that. But, I will purchase the ST multipurpose sensor if that is needed.
You can ask specific questions to that one person in the thread that I gave you the link to. I specifically posted from that part of the thread because he/she has a Chamberlain MyQ garage door opener and you can take recommendations from that person or any other that has that same setup.
I specifically use the ST Multisensor because I want the additional temperature reading in the garage without an additional device. But others have had great success with the Ecolink Tilt sensor, but it doesn’t have temp. You can see everything and search through just that thread in the sensors before you make a purchase. I don’t know if the Visonic can be setup he same way as the ST. I’m assuming it can, but don’t know if you could use it as a garage door (acceleration capability). You can research that as well in that thread too.
Thanks! I started reading through that thread and haven’t yet found discussion of which sensor is best. I really appreciate the lead. Definitely interested in just knowing what sensor would make the process the least buggy. Seems likely I should buy something else. Really appreciate your help…
If you use a tilt sensor the placement of the sensor on the garage door is more flexible, and you only have one item to attach, the tilt sensor.
If you use an open-close sensor, then you have two items to attach (sensor and magnet) and you’ll have to be able to place the magnet and sensor in spots that allow them to connect when the garage door is closed - that can be more difficult to arrange.
The ST Multisensor allows this. It’s how I use mine on the garage door. It is specifically edited in Things with “Use as a Garage Door” which changes the sensor capability (and the icon to a garage door) from being an Open / Close Sensor to a Tilt Sensor without the magnet. And wasn’t sure if the existing Visonic sensor that fiesta has, has that capability. Too lazy to look
