How to pick the right garage door opener? Making a garage door opener selection is crucial to ensuring reliable and safe operation for your garage door. Making the wrong selection with a garage door opener can lead you to want more, desiring additional features, or necessitate replacement prior to the typical opener selection.
HP selection, installation requirements, power, features and functionalities, and remote operation capabilities are crucial when choosing a garage door opener. Garage door openers vary greatly in cost, and while some of that can be attributed to the raw HP of the motor/opener, other features to be considered include the creature comforts that most homeowners desire in their garage door opener system.
Garage Door Opener Selection
Your garage door opener selection is based on the weight of the door. Making the right product selection means assessing the weight, style, and size of the sectional garage door that properly suits the selected opener.
A garage door opener works with the garage door springs and cable to facilitate the smooth operation of the garage door. Your installer understands this and makes a selection for springs based on the garage door’s weight, too.
Belt and Chain Drive Garage Door Openers
One of the most typical options is the belt drive garage door opener. A belt drive opener is typically the quietest option and is usual for most residential setups. The belt drive garage door opener uses a belt, so its name implies, to facilitate the opening and closing of the garage door, as opposed to a chain drive system, likely needs less maintenance for system operation(lubrication).
These systems are also pretty quick, making garage door opening and closing (full-cycle) for a belt-drive garage door opener faster than a chain-drive opener typically. Both chain-drive and belt-drive openers can be had for quiet operation, though, and both are fairly common for residential garage door opener systems.
Common Garage Door Features
Features-wise, there are plenty of options when it comes to garage door openers. Making the right selection is based on sorting through some key functionalities that you might want to consider to suit your budget.
- Connectivity: WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity allow the garage door to be opened/closed from anywhere.
- Quiet Operation: Super quiet systems for chain or belt drive. This setup is perfect for an attached garage where you want the opener to operate quietly.
- Smart Openers: Mobile app integration with ‘smart garage door openers’. This allows you to open or close your garage door from anywhere! Maybe you think you forgot to close your door? No problem, these systems give you peace of mind.
- Remote Controls: Pre-programmed remote controls. Multiple controllers for your vehicles are always nice, and with pre-programmed remotes, you don’t have to worry about programming them yourself!
- Battery backup: Battery backup systems for garage door openers are a fantastic solution for keeping your garage door operational during a power outage.
- Wall-Mount Systems: Compact and wall-mount garage door opener systems mount directly to the wall and can open/close garage doors strictly at the shaft.
- Built-in HD cameras: Some garage door openers include this feature to enhance their security functionality, allowing you to monitor your garage live.
- Garage Door Keypad Systems: Garage door keypad systems provide classic exterior access control for your garage door with a simple keypad designed to provide quick, safe access to your garage.
- Garage Door Lighting: Lighting systems that come with the garage door opener. Different garage door openers have different lighting systems that improve the garage’s visibility.
For typical residential setups, the garage door opener voltage is 120V or 240V. Plug-in variants are common, and direct-wired installations are also possible for commercial purposes. Commercial garage door installations, such as overhead installations, are certainly more labor intensive and require trained experience in opener selection. Not to mention, commercial garage door opener usage is typically more frequent and strenuous.
Photo Above: Garage door opener with a torsion bar system on a double-wide garage door.
Torsion spring or extension spring
The spring system is crucial for the overall operation of a garage door opener. If you have a torsion spring system, this is the coil-spring system around a torsion shaft, connected to the cable/pulley drum. If you have an extension spring garage door system, this is the spring attached to either side of the garage door. Depending on the system you have, your selection for a garage door opener may vary.
HP (Horse Power) for Selection in Garage Door Opener
Garage door openers start at around 1/3 HP, 1/2 HP, and move up in HP to 3/4 HP and even 1 HP.
Horsepower selection for your garage door can be dependent on the size of the door, the weight of the door, and the operational requirements (frequency of use). We generally say, in the garage door industry, 1/3 HP is the most common, 1/2 HP and 3/4 HP are most typical for garage doors, and the 1 HP garage door openers are capable of the most demanding usage, with higher weights and more frequent operational cycles.
Limitations on Product based on Spring Selection
You may also have limitations in the garage door opener selection you can make based on the spring setup. For instance, if you want a direct drive and/or wall-mounted system, such an opener may not be feasible for installation with extension spring systems. They may require a torsion spring shaft and system to operate correctly and, in some cases, will not work with a roll-up door.
You may opt for an extension spring to torsion spring conversion in some scenarios, which can facilitate installation of a direct drive / wall-mounted garage door opener.
Other types of garage door openers, in addition to the chain and belt drive systems, are the screw drive garage door openers. Screw drive garage door openers are not using a chain or belt to facilitate operation.
Proper Backing for Installation
Installation of garage door openers should also consider necessary structural backing, either in the garage’s ceiling or the garage’s wall. This can be in the form of the bottom of ceiling trusses, or with alternative means by heavy-duty plywood. In any case, when choosing an opener, consider that the unit itself has structural requirements for stability in operation.
Another great feature to look for in a garage door opener is the outdoor keypad. An outdoor keypad provides convenient access to your garage from outside.
While most garage builds are going to have plenty of options for installing and mounting the opener, this is specific to your garage, and additional reinforcement or wall/ceiling backing may be required.
Garage Door Warranty
From a customer purchase perspective, also consider the warranty. Some brands offer long warranties, even lifetime warranties. As opposed to 5-year warranties, for instance, you can easily double the timeline for peace of mind. Not to mention, the warranty covers your garage door repair fees to some degree on the parts or manufacturer defects.
Cost differences can be found between single-door garage openers and double-door garage openers. There are also differences in mounting hardware provided. Your garage door opener system may come with tracks and components to facilitate installation, or these mounting tracks and railings will have to be procured separately.
Conclusion
Any way you look at it, selecting a garage door opener is no light task. When you trust the professionals at Mor Garage Doors with your garage door service needs, they’ll work with you to make the right garage door opener product selection at the right budget and with the features that will suit your home. As a professional Newmarket garage door service provider, our goal is simple, provide our customers with steady and reliable garage door replacement or repair services, when they need these services most.
Contact us today for a free consultation for a garage door for your home or business.
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