Garage Door - Smart Features - why so hard?
Discussion
I recently had a Hormann garage door fitted with a ProMatic 4. I had assumed, without any prior research, that with the year being 2026, such a product would of course have smart features as standard, so I might check open/closed status or even (shock) activate the door via my mobile (Apple Home etc) or CarPlay.
Wrong!
No matter, I see that a Hormann WLAN module can be bought and plugged into the operator to enable it to speak with my local network...
Wrong!
Hormann will not supply WLAN components to the UK for "legislative" reasons, which I'm yet to get to the bottom of. I've spoken to several UK garage door suppliers, and they all confirm Hormann will no longer supply this most useful bit of kit to the UK.
So it seems if you have a garage door in the UK, you might have crappy Bluetooth features or be happy with RF remotes, but should you want Smart features, you're out of luck or left to explore cheapo third-party solutions without the convenience of native compatibility. Basically, things with magnet sensors and additional wiring to tell you if you did indeed shut the garage door when you left in a hurry that morning... what a farce!
I can't be the only one who finds this quite astonishing in this day and age of smart doorbells, plugs, cameras and all manner of home tech. What on earth is going on?? I will of course order said WLAN from german suppliers on eBay if I must, but I'm curious if other PHers are in a similar state of wonder?
Some of the suppliers I spoke to said there isn't much demand for smart features on garage doors, which I find hard to believe. Surely, people want these basic status features even if not full geofencing etc.
Wrong!
No matter, I see that a Hormann WLAN module can be bought and plugged into the operator to enable it to speak with my local network...
Wrong!
Hormann will not supply WLAN components to the UK for "legislative" reasons, which I'm yet to get to the bottom of. I've spoken to several UK garage door suppliers, and they all confirm Hormann will no longer supply this most useful bit of kit to the UK.
So it seems if you have a garage door in the UK, you might have crappy Bluetooth features or be happy with RF remotes, but should you want Smart features, you're out of luck or left to explore cheapo third-party solutions without the convenience of native compatibility. Basically, things with magnet sensors and additional wiring to tell you if you did indeed shut the garage door when you left in a hurry that morning... what a farce!
I can't be the only one who finds this quite astonishing in this day and age of smart doorbells, plugs, cameras and all manner of home tech. What on earth is going on?? I will of course order said WLAN from german suppliers on eBay if I must, but I'm curious if other PHers are in a similar state of wonder?
Some of the suppliers I spoke to said there isn't much demand for smart features on garage doors, which I find hard to believe. Surely, people want these basic status features even if not full geofencing etc.
Edited by DoubleSix on Thursday 9th July 21:16
All you need is a camera in the garage , then if you can’t remember if you shut the door down just have a quick look.
I cant see our garage door from the house so it comes in handy and saves me walking down and checking.
Also handy if the alarm goes off and i can see in the middle of the night if any robbers are in there. Better than going down and getting hit over the head .
I cant see our garage door from the house so it comes in handy and saves me walking down and checking.
Also handy if the alarm goes off and i can see in the middle of the night if any robbers are in there. Better than going down and getting hit over the head .
Sure, until you check and realise you left it open and you re miles away!
(I do have a camera in there, but it feels like only half the solution).
A button on your car play screen like the one below would seem like a basic “want” .
(I do have a camera in there, but it feels like only half the solution).
A button on your car play screen like the one below would seem like a basic “want” .
Edited by DoubleSix on Thursday 9th July 20:51
Edited by DoubleSix on Thursday 9th July 20:52
There's a dozen forms of relays that will do it! Most for around £10. Two wires that slot into the terminals supplied on the hormann motor, mains cable and WiFi connection. Even have terminals you can position to give you live confirmation of open or close.
Gives you Alexa control, app control etc... effortlessly.
I used this one below, which was more expensive but more reliable. I replaced it with a cheaper one which better integrated into my smart home... But the cheaper one is just that little bit more unreliable with low mobile signal when I opened it via Alexa in my car.
https://amzn.eu/d/0jdMdNUw
10mins installation.
Gives you Alexa control, app control etc... effortlessly.
I used this one below, which was more expensive but more reliable. I replaced it with a cheaper one which better integrated into my smart home... But the cheaper one is just that little bit more unreliable with low mobile signal when I opened it via Alexa in my car.
https://amzn.eu/d/0jdMdNUw
10mins installation.
Edited by Andeh1 on Thursday 9th July 21:02
Meross doesn’t look too bad but i believe requires sensors to be wired to the door right?
The door operator/motor knows what position its in so should be able to tell you if using proprietary kit… no sensors required.
Why not available in the UK? why not in-built? Why are we buying cheapo third party kit with software that will likely not be supported long term?
Its just weird.
The door operator/motor knows what position its in so should be able to tell you if using proprietary kit… no sensors required.
Why not available in the UK? why not in-built? Why are we buying cheapo third party kit with software that will likely not be supported long term?
Its just weird.
You're not wrong, when I had hormann out for warranty issues (they were brilliant btw) they also explained it was a privacy thing in the UK.
The meross unit and the other generic one I got all come with a 5m or something cable with a magnet end on it. You then get a second stand alone magnet thing, and you just position them somewhere around the door edges so that when closed they are within 1cm of each other. You don't have to use it.
I used hot glue and a cut price of wood, and it took 10mins to Install them, don't see why you wouldn't
It just works...well.
Genuine case of cheap and easy technology achieving something really useful
The meross unit and the other generic one I got all come with a 5m or something cable with a magnet end on it. You then get a second stand alone magnet thing, and you just position them somewhere around the door edges so that when closed they are within 1cm of each other. You don't have to use it.
I used hot glue and a cut price of wood, and it took 10mins to Install them, don't see why you wouldn't
It just works...well.
Genuine case of cheap and easy technology achieving something really useful
DoubleSix said:
Sure, until you check and realise you left it open and you re miles away!
(I do have a camera in there, but it feels like only half the solution).
A button on your car play screen like the one below would seem like a basic want .
Nah after 30 seconds the alarm would not set if the door was still open and the alarm app thingy would alert me.(I do have a camera in there, but it feels like only half the solution).
A button on your car play screen like the one below would seem like a basic want .
Edited by DoubleSix on Thursday 9th July 20:51
Edited by DoubleSix on Thursday 9th July 20:52
I got the camera for free so just use it to check when im in or in bed at night if it goes off.
Other makes aren't much better. My doors came with Somfy motors, which I thought could be automated, which they can to some extent...
On the version I have the motors can be told to "open" or "close", but they cannot tell you if the door is open or not. The Somfy hub I have is basically a mains powered remote, connected to the house wifi, which uses the same RF as the remotes to talk to the doors.
It doesn't connect with Apple HomeKit, out of the box, but I have managed to bodge something with Shortcuts.
On the version I have the motors can be told to "open" or "close", but they cannot tell you if the door is open or not. The Somfy hub I have is basically a mains powered remote, connected to the house wifi, which uses the same RF as the remotes to talk to the doors.
It doesn't connect with Apple HomeKit, out of the box, but I have managed to bodge something with Shortcuts.
If it can be automated, its almost certain someone will have done so. Usually a good starting point is googling "homeassistant name-of-thing" Even if you dont want to use homeassistant it will point you in the right direction.
https://github.com/Gifford47/HCPBridgeMqtt
This has a webui as well as mqtt to push updates to/from homeassistant or another mqtt system.
https://github.com/Gifford47/HCPBridgeMqtt
This has a webui as well as mqtt to push updates to/from homeassistant or another mqtt system.
I just use an Apple home kit Meross. However, it works in the same way as the push button switch works (it closes the circuit for a second). I think more modern garage door control systems don’t just look for an open/closed circuit and they instead need a proprietary comms signal?
There is a small reed switch you fit on the overhead rail to say whether the door is open or closed. Think it cost me about £30.
There is a small reed switch you fit on the overhead rail to say whether the door is open or closed. Think it cost me about £30.
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