I’ve never seen it get stuck in “opening” or “closing” on my device except for ONE case: If I kill electricity to the device and then plug it back in, sometimes I can start tapping the “unknown” icon to get it to change to opening or closing (but of course it’s in a bad state then.)
Interesting, maybe I had a power outage…I need to find a way to identify that I have no clocks that start flashing 12:00 
It seems I can ignore these events, the door is actually closed unless it goes to full “Open” status.
Check out the Telguard GDC1. It has a wired sensor that eliminates much of these issues because of the wireless tilt sensor.
Looks nice, it uses a magnetic sensor instead of a tilt sensor which is also nicer. I would be interested in hearing how this unit is working for folks that buy one.
I agree the following information is not in the Linear instructions, but it should be. It’s basically The same as the “synchronization” step in the install instructions.
In the event of a power outage, UL 325 safety standards require that the person operate the door once from the manual button inside the garage (or a regular close distance remote) before commands will again be accepted from the “unattended mode” controller.
This will be true of any controllers that meet the UL standard, including the unmodified MyQ, the Linear GD00Z, And the Telguard.
This is basically an attempt to get the person to visually examine the garage door before operating it in unattended mode after a power outage.
I don’t think this is correct. The Telguard has a “wired” connection so it can check the status of the door once the power returns. The GD00Z has a battery operated tilt sensor which only sends a signal when it changes position. Therefor when the base loses power and they regains power the base can not determine the state of the door. This is why it requires manual opening before functioning. The Telguard can check the status of the door at any time because the sensor is directly wired and therefor does not have this shortcoming.
I don’t see anything in the UL 325 standard which states as you say that manual operation is required after a power outage.
http://www.ul325.com/
That’s a two page excerpt. The actual standard is much longer. From the link above:
The above information is an excerpt from UL325 specifications for the purpose of clarification of the above Rules. Please note that this information is NOT complete.
The full standard includes the power outage requirement as described in the MyQ FAQ:
Why won’t all the MyQ features or accessories function after a power outage?
Published 09/13/2011 09:35 AM | Updated 10/17/2013 08:08 AM
Why won’t all the MyQ features or accessories function after a power outage?
When there is a power outage, immediately after the power comes back on your MyQ unattended close features and accessories will not function. These features/accessories, include Timer To Close, the garage door monitor and your MyQ account. You will not be able to activate your door from any of these applications. The system reacts this way to ensure that the opener cannot be activated by any unattended close feature and lock you out of your home.
Once you activate the opener from the door control or the handheld remote, all unattended close features will be available.
Note: Your MyQ account may show the garage door opener with a question mark, the question mark will go away once you activate the opener from the door control or the handheld remote.
Thanks JDRoberts, I don’t mean to argue with you but the MyQ FAQ you provided doesn’t mention the UL325 standard. It just says they behave this way because they don’t want you to get locked out of your house. So I am still not sure if the standard requires manual operation after power outage.
Do you have a link the the full standard with the power outage requires manual operation before re-enabling requirement ? I am really just curious. I can take your word for it 
I found the section but can’t find a full copy online. http://ulstandards.ul.com/standard/?id=325_6 lists contents including… 29.3 Interruption of power, so it must have some requirement…
From the telguard page
http://www.telguard.com/home/Products/Residential/GDC1
Meets UL 325 safety guidelines for unattended operation:
-Provides five seconds of audible and visual warnings prior to remote movement.
-Has the ability to cancel movement locally during the warning period.
-Suspends unattended operation after two consecutive failed closed attempts.
No mention of suspending operation after a power failure so I wonder how it behaves if power is lost. Interesting.
Again I solved my GD00Z power loss issue with a UPS anyway so doesn’t really mater to me but it is an interesting subject.
As we have discussed in other topics previously, UL doesn’t generally allow the full standards to be published on free sites online, you have to purchase the books or paid access.
Probably the simplest thing is for you to contact the company that makes the controller you own and ask them about the behavior you don’t like, in this case, not accepting unattended mode commands after a power outage.
As you say, there’s no point in us arguing about it.
1 Like
Or someone who buys this unit can just cut the power, turn it back on and let us know what happens
1 Like
Ron,
There is another thread started that is asking for general impressions (I started it). There are a couple of comments there already.
It is titled “Impressions of Garage Door Control with the Telguard GDC1.”
@JDRoberts Woodworker72 reports that the GDC1 does in fact keep working after a power outage once power is restored the wired sensor reports the correct status and the device keeps working. So in that way it is better than the GD00Z from linear.
I asked him on this thread if you are interested in his reply Impressions of Garage Door Control with the Telguard GDC1
I also emailed telguard sales and they provided the same answer.
“Better” depends on your own priorities. More convenient, yes. But both Linear and Chamberlain consider NOT accepting unattended mode commands after a power outage to be a safety feature, either to keep the homeowner from being locked out when the power restarts or to prevent problems if the power outage was accompanied by physical damage to the door or an obstruction.
I may be wrong, and it may not be in the current UL 325 specification. It could be in the new one that’s coming in 2016, or it may just have been in “best practice” discussions for barrier control operations, I don’t remember.
So if I was wrong about it’s being in the current spec, I apologize for any confusion.
But both Linear and Chamberlain include the feature, they both say for safety reasons, and Telguard does not. So that’s just something to be aware of, no matter which you prefer.
(Certainly the code makes no mention or allusion of anything to do with power power outage behavior regarding unattended operation.)
Need Help Mentally Processing the Safety Feature concept in not moving after power outage:
Baseline facts:
The code requires no more than two closing attempts before having to lock out and stop accepting commands.
The code also requires that these products only be installed on sectional doors with all entrapment protection devices installed.
So, scenario 1 has the power return to the GD and the unattended opener device (UOD).
1a) Door open, so no one is getting locked out.
1a1) Door open and UOD triggers a close. Door closes, but system fully operational so it can still open.
1b) Door closed and UOD operational so it can still open.
Conclusion: I don’t see how the homeowner lock out condition could happen.
2a) Door destroyed and power restored. UOD tries to move the door. GD entrapment features OK, but the door is binding and can’t move. So the GD doesn’t move the door because of the over current detected. UOD tries again, fails again and locks out no longer processing commands.
2b) Door destroyed and entrapment features, etc., destroyed too. UOD tries but entrapment is giving a positive (laser not aligned because a twisted door is breaking the beam), so nothing happens. UOD tries again, fails again and locks out no longer processing commands.
Conclusion: I don’t see the possibility for a safety issue here either.
JDRoberts, What am I missing?
1 Like
Nice detail! 
You’d have to ask Chamberlain what their lockout example is.
As for me, I’ve been accused in the past of having an overactive imagination 
but I can definitely imagine several scenarios where unattended mode could cause a problem after a power outage. Of course, I can imagine several where unattended mode could cause a problem without a power outage, too!
What’s different about a power outage? The main thing would be that the door might be partially closed when the power came back on. Let’s say about halfway.
Now We need a couple of conditions. Two people live in the house. One has already left and gone to work. The other is still in the house.
Person B, who is still in the house, leaves their phone inside in all scenarios. Maybe they hear a noise that causes them to run outside. Or maybe they just forget it. Most likely the batteries are low and it’s still charging because they weren’t expecting to leave right away.
Again, in all scenarios, they use the garage door to exit the house. So the garage door opens, it starts to close, power fails with the person outside the house and their phone inside the house and the door partly closed but not all the way.
Now the person who’s at the house starts to deal with issues out by the street that were related to the cause of the power outage. Maybe another car hit a pole. Maybe there’s a windstorm and things are blowing around and there’s debris blocking the driveway or the street. Maybe the mailbox is blown over. In any case they are busy outside.
Meanwhile, the power comes back on. The person is still working out in the front. Maybe clearing some debris from the neighbor’s driveway. The one who is at the office notices that the garage door is open and assumes they left it open when they went to the office. They issue the close.
The person who is working in front hears the beep but can’t do anything because the door has started closing before they get back to it. Now they are locked out of the house without their phone.
How likely is it? having lived in both Atlanta and Houston, short power outages during big storms were fairly common. As was debris in the driveway or street. So, yeah, I can imagine it.
Actually I can also think of one scenario where they might have their phone with them but the person themselves has been knocked unconscious by whatever caused the power outage. Maybe the person gets hit by a flying branch, gets blown backwards into the garage door, falls in the driveway, with their arm across the barrier line. The power comes back on. Person at the office sees the doors are open and issues the close command. Door beeps but the other person is either unconscious or unable to get out of the way, door closes on their arm. The power outage contributes to this one because the partially closed status of the door means when the person is blown over they are more likely to fall right at the barrier line.
So both of those are possible. How likely it’s hard to say. The first seems more likely than the second, but the second is more dangerous.
Some of this would be a matter of local conditions. Maybe a lot of it. I like living in semi rural areas. That also means wherever I’ve lived the power company outage line is one of the phone numbers posted on the refrigerator. 
and outages of 30 minutes or less are pretty common around here.
I’m also certainly more sensitive to the “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” kind of scenario, obviously.
Again, though, if it’s not in the standard I don’t think it really matters how likely any of these are. It’s just important to know how the different devices vary in the features that they have. Some people will like one mix, some people will like the other. Options are good.
1 Like
Thanks for the detail on those scenarios. I agree that options are good…
And with that I think we’ve beaten this topic to death. (pun intended!)
This has been a fun exchange I love @JDRoberts detailed scenario
The only problem is the Scenario doesn’t require a power outage. If two people live in the home and one locks the other out while they are outside it didn’t require a power outage. The Car could have hit the mailbox instead of the power poll. Person 1 runs out to check on the accident wrapped in a towel because they were in the shower. Person 2 sees open garage and closes it…there you have it. Locked out, dripping we and wearing only a towel. 
Moral of the story the Garage should disable itself when it detects someone in the shower LOL
For Scenario 2 that is why Garage Doors have the obstruction sensor which prevents motion when the light beam is broken.
I feel the Telguard unit is perfectly safe and would be comfortable owning one. I have basically the same behavior by adding my UPS to my GD00Z since it never loses power now and I am comfortable with that as well.
I think it you are really worried you should add a security camera looking at the door. Before making a decision to close the door you can check that your garage door path is clear. I am considering adding a security camera outside my house pointed toward my Garage to act as a security camera and garage monitor.
2 Likes
This FTW! I agree, adding vision to unattended mode makes it much safer. 
p.s. Regarding the specific scenario issues you raised, I did mention problems can occur even without the power outage. The main difference would be a partially closed door.
The obstruction detector is generally mounted 6 to 8" above ground level. If someone was blown into the half open door and then fell down with just an arm across the barrier line, when the power comes on the beam won’t be broken and the door will still come down. It’s not very likely, but it’s not impossible.
1 Like
I am pulling my hair out. I can not get the “unknown” status to go away. I have tried re-pairing the remote sensor to no avail.
I am about ready to give up.
@kilo I am assuming you followed the instructions and manually opened/closed the door a time or two so the unit can get it’s status from the sensor, correct ? You don’t mention what you have tried so hard to help in any way.
If still looking for help then post more details including what device code you are using, what steps you have taken etc. Just so folks can try to catch what might be going wrong.