How to Identify a Broken Circuit Board & Find a Replacement

When it's thunderstorm season, your garage door opener’s circuit board is at risk of electric destruction. Sudden power surges can travel through electrical outlets and destroy unprotected garage door equipment like circuit boards. That’s why our experts have written up a handy guide so you can identify a broken circuit board and find a compatible replacement while also protecting yourself from future electrical surges.

What is a Circuit Board

Circuit boards go by many names, such as control panels, control boards, logic boards, PC boards, and mother boards. Whatever you call it, a garage door circuit board is essentially a computer that controls several garage door mechanisms, such as the:

• Open, close, and stop function of garage door motors

• Safety eyes mounted at the bottom of the door

• Light bulbs

• Push buttons

• Radio transmitters

Since a circuit board controls the operation of a garage door, when one breaks or is damaged by lightning, the garage opener cannot read a remote’s signal. This leaves homeowners unable to operate their garage door.

Identifying a Broken Circuit Board

Powerful electrical surges can fry circuit boards, and the most common cause of a surge is a nearby lightning strike. If your garage door opener stops working after a thunderstorm, an electrical surge is likely the reason.

Grab the instruction manual for your garage door opener. It should contain the test procedures needed to determine if the issue is with the circuit board or something else. If the board has failed, you’ll need to replace it.

Replacing a Circuit Board

To replace a broken circuit board, first confirm the exact model your opener requires. Check the instruction manual that came with your garage door opener to find the part number. If it's not listed, remove the light cover and inspect the board itself—there should be a label with the part number printed on it.

We stock a wide range of circuit boards that are ready to ship quickly. Just enter your part number into our search bar or visit our listing directly to find the correct board for your opener.

How to Protect a Circuit Board from Future Electrical Surges

Once you've replaced your circuit board, you’ll want to protect it from being damaged again. A universal surge protector is a simple, affordable solution that guards your garage opener and all its components from up to 1080 joules caused by electrical surges, spikes, and sudden voltage changes.

This surge protector not only helps during thunderstorms, but also shields your system from smaller power fluctuations caused by appliances turning on and off. It even has an audible alarm to alert you when the device needs to be replaced, so you can stay protected with peace of mind.

Need More Help with Your Circuit Board

Please ask. Our in-house experts are here to help you find the right replacement circuit board for your opener.