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A Guide to Garage Door Openers
Types of Garage Door Openers and What to Look For
When Buying One
By Mark J. Donovan
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Almost no one today who has a
garage manually rolls up the garage door by
hand. And any prospective homeowner will look
askance if the garage doesn’t include garage
door openers. So regardless of how old your home
is, or how big and heavy your garage doors are,
if the garage doors do not include garage door
openers it’s time to install them. It only takes
4 or so hours to install a garage door opener
and even a neophyte DIY homeowner can install
one. There are three major garage door opener
types to choose from. |
Summarized below are the key features of each
garage door opener type.
Chain Driven Garage Door Opener
The chain driven garage door opener is one of the
most popular garage door openers sold today. It is
extremely rugged and can support light to heavy
weight doors, depending upon its construction and
the size motor associated with it. Speaking of
motors, garage door openers come in various motor
sizes based on a horsepower rating. The larger the
horsepower rating the stronger the garage door
opener is. I recommend going with a ¾ horsepower
motor. There are lower horsepower motors, but they
tend to wear out faster and often don’t have the
power to lift heavier doors, at least not for the
long run.
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A chain driven garage door opener operates by a chain
rotating on a sprocket at the motor end, and a pulley on the far end. An arm
attaches to the chain and the garage door to open or close it when the
garage door opener is activated. Chain driven garage door openers tend to be
a bit noisy so they are not the best for garages located under finished
rooms, particularly bedrooms.
Belt Driven Garage Door Opener
For a quieter garage door opener the belt driven garage door opener is
just the ticket. Instead of a chain it uses a belt to open and close the
garage door. |
The only issue with belt driven garage door
openers is that they tend to wear out more quickly
and do not have the same power as a chain driven
garage door opener.
Screw Driven Garage Door Opener
Your other option when it comes to choosing a garage
door opener is the screw driven type. A screw driven
garage door opener, as the name suggests has a screw
type assembly with a lifting arm attached to it. The
screw assembly threads along a long steel arm that
is attached above the garage door and to the motor
assembly unit. As the screw slides backwards and
forwards the garage door opens and closes. The screw
driven garage door opener, like the chain style one,
can lift heavier garage doors. It’s also a bit
quieter than the chain driven garage door opener.
Garage Door Opener Maintenance
Periodically the garage door opener should be
inspected for loose brackets or bolts. In addition,
if the chain or belt is sagging it should be
adjusted properly. In addition, their safety
features should be checked for proper operation.
This includes their contact and non-contact reverse
back safety features, as well as their manual safety
cord release mechanism. Finally make sure chain and
sprocket assemblies are lubricated. This will help
on noise reduction. |
Photo by Mark Donovan |
Finally, when shopping for a garage door opener
select one that has features which include built in
timer safety / security lights, 2 or 3 remote hand
control units, a wall operator button, and an
external garage door wall mounted security operator
button.
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Related Information
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