Built in, or added with a kit
Phone control arrives one of two ways: inside the opener from the start, or added later with the maker's own kit. Which one applies comes down to the make and model, and Dominator's manual says the model is on the rear of the opener.
Dominator says smart control is built into its Smart, and that the same features can be added to most of its openers with the Smartphone Control Kit. Its manual adds that the Smart Pro and Smart have the Smart Hub already installed, while the Secure needs the kit, and the Select is listed as network ready, needing the kit too.
Garador's smartphone kit, a Smart Hub with accessories, is an optional add-on for all new residential Garador openers installed from August 1, 2016. Garador says its app only works in New Zealand.
Merlin's myQ app needs the opener on your home internet, either directly by Wi-Fi or through a gateway. Merlin's New Zealand site says the MJ3800MYQ has Wi-Fi built in, that its myQ Connectivity Kit pairs a gateway with safety beams, and its compatibility page names the MR655 and MR855.
How each maker adds phone control
| Already built in | Added with a kit | |
|---|---|---|
| Dominator | Smart Pro and Smart | Secure, Select and most other Dominator openers |
| Merlin | MJ3800MYQ | Compatible openers, through a myQ gateway |
Safety beams come with it
An app can close a door nobody is watching, so the makers tie phone control to safety beams. Dominator's opener manual says beams must be fitted if a smart device can run the door while it is out of sight, set 100mm above the ground.
Garador made beams compulsory on all new installations of phone-controlled openers from 1 December 2020, and Merlin's New Zealand site says beams are needed to use myQ. ATA's Smart Phone Control Kit manual goes further: the beams go in before the kit, the kit must not go on openers that control J-Type or single piece doors, and the opener's limits are cleared and set again once it is fitted.
So on a door without beams, the job is the kit and the beams together, not the kit on its own.
Wi-Fi where the opener is
The hub talks to your home network, so the signal has to reach the garage. Dominator's app needs a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network, plus internet for use away from home, and its setup asks for the router to be within range of the opener. Merlin's MT110MYQ manual asks for a router with an active broadband connection.
If the garage is at the far end of the house, check the signal out there before the visit. When the remote works but the app doesn't, Merlin's manual points first to the internet connection, the router and the lights on the gateway.
Power cuts are the other limit. Dominator says its optional battery backup keeps the opener going without mains power, but the app still depends on the Wi-Fi being up.
How Dominator's Smart and Smart Pro connect
Get ready
Dominator's manual says to download the Dominator App first, and to make sure the opener's limits are set and the Wi-Fi router is within range.
Turn on the opener's hotspot
Press until the network LED is lit, then hold for 5 seconds until it turns purple.
Join the opener's own network
In the phone's Wi-Fi settings, join the network the opener creates, shown as DOM000000.
Add the Smart Hub in the app
Set up a new Smart Hub in the app. The network LED turns blue once the opener is connected to the cloud.
Power and wiring
If the opener is new or moving, power is part of the job. Dominator's opener manual calls for a properly earthed 3-pin power point on the ceiling within arm's length of the opener, put in by a qualified electrical contractor.
Any new power point or new wiring is work for a licensed electrician, who must give you a Certificate of Compliance for it no later than 20 days after finishing, the EWRB says. It also warns that electrical work done by someone unlicensed can hide a risk until it causes a shock, a fire or serious damage, and can cause trouble with an insurance claim.
Voice control, add-ons and warranties
Voice control depends on the maker. Dominator's app guide lists a "Connect with Google & Alexa" setting, while Merlin's New Zealand site says myQ does not currently work with Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, Amazon Key or any car brands here.
Some people look at third-party Wi-Fi controllers for an existing opener. If that is your plan, give the door specialist the make and model of both, so they can check it against the opener maker's own rules, safety beams included.
Who fits the opener can matter for the warranty as well. Merlin says its openers are meant to be professionally installed, and the warranty section of its MJ3800 manual says a Merlin opener bought over the internet and installed by someone other than a Professional Dealer is not covered.
The door can move when you can't see it
Dominator's manual warns that smart control lets the door run out of your line of sight, so it may operate unexpectedly, and nothing should be left in or near its path. Timed closing carries the same risk, which is why Merlin's MT3850EVO manual needs safety beams for its timer-to-close feature and gives 8 seconds of beeps and flashing lights before the door starts down.
What to tell the door specialist
- The opener's make and model, from the label on its rear
- Whether safety beams are already fitted near the bottom of the door
- The door type, and whether it is one solid panel that tilts up
- Whether your Wi-Fi reaches the garage
- Whether there is a power point close to the opener
- Any third-party controller you are thinking of adding
Your part, and what to leave
You can
- Finding the opener's model number
- Checking the Wi-Fi signal in the garage
- Keeping the doorway clear of cars, bikes and toys
- Once beams are in, waving a broom across them as the door closes, as Dominator suggests
Leave to a door specialist
- Fitting the hub, kit or gateway
- Fitting and lining up safety beams
- Clearing and setting the limits again after the kit goes in
- A new power point or wiring, by a licensed electrician
What we would do
When you send the job, include the opener's model number and say whether beams are fitted. Those two details tell the door specialist whether it is a kit, a kit with beams, or time for a newer opener, and they can plan the visit around the answer.