wrote in message
...
I installed a Genie Excelerator opener about 5 years ago. It has
worked well up until last night's nearby lightning strike. We lost a
variety of electronic things. The opener still works except for the
safety sensor system. The sending side is not lit and the opener acts
as one would expect - It opens just fine, but you must hold the button
to close it. Is there a common part that fails in these situations? I
can order a new board or a new set of safety sensors, but I thought
one of you might have a hint as to which one is more likely to have
failed. The voltage across the two terminals is only a few
millivolts. That points to the board, but I suppose one of the
sensors could have shorted. I think I'll go disconnect the sensors
and see what the voltage does. In the mean time, any input is
appreciated. ...Pat


*I can't help you with your garage door opener, but you should know that a
common cause of lightning related incidences is due to a problem with the
grounding system of your home. Your electrical service should have a single
conductor connected to your water service pipe and also to at least one
ground rod. If you don't have any idea what I am talking about have a
qualified electrician come in for an inspection of your grounding electrodes
and grounding electrode conductor. Your telephone service, cable TV service
and/or dish should also be grounded.

I have seen it before where the garage door opener gets fried from lightning
and I surmise that the lightning likes the concrete floor in the garage
since it is a very good ground and travels the rails to get there.