When you are required to select the best garage door opener for your garage, you must take into consideration several different variable. As your garage door is a very heavy object that you have to open and close, and given the fact that your space for the garage is often limited, you must take into consideration a variety of different factors that will ensure that your selected garage door opener is correctly matched to your garage and garage door. If you dont ensure that your garage door opener is correctly matched to your garage door, then the door may struggle to opening or close, or it may make excessive noises within the house.
One of the primary variable that you must consider is the drive types for the garage door opener. Chain drives are typically one of the more inexpensive options for garage doors, and they is durable. However, because the metal components of a garage door chain drive may clack against the metal of the garage door rail, these models tend to be loud.
How to Choose the Right Garage Door Opener
Belt drives use a rubber belt to move the door instead of the metal chain, and they are quieter than chain drives. Screw drives use a rod to move the door, and require less maintenance because there are fewer moving part than other models, but they may be louder than belt drives. Finally, direct drive units tend to be the quietest model available for garage doors.
Additionally, jackshaft models place the motor of the garage door opener on the wall beside the door, freeing up the ceiling within the garage. Another variable that you must consider is the horsepower of the garage door opener in relation to the weight of your garage door. A half-horsepower motor is sufficient for moving a single, lightweight garage door.
However, if your garage features a double door, or if the door has insulation or windows, a half-horsepower may struggle to move the door. A three-quarter horsepower motor is common for residential properties with double doors. If your door is oversized or features solid-wood planks for the door, one horsepower or more is required.
Additionally, the horsepower for your garage door opener must be sufficient for your garage doors weight to avoid garage door motor failure. Another variable to consider is the physical clearances within the garage. There must be enough headroom above the door, enough side room beside the door, and enough space within the back room behind the horizontal rail for the garage door openers components.
If there is insufficient room within these areas, there will be issue with the operation of the garage door opener. However, you can use low headroom brackets and high lift track conversions if you have limited headroom above your door. Additionally, you can use jackshaft models if you wish to move the motor away from the ceiling within your garage.
Another variable that you must consider is the length of the rail for the garage door. The length of the rail should match the height of the garage door. For example, if your garage door is 7 feet in height, then your garage doors rail should also be 7 feet in height.
Similarly, if your garage door is 8 feet in height, then the rail should be 8 feet in height. If the height of your door is taller than a standard height for a garage door, then the rail will need to be lengthened to allow the trolley carriage to travel along the rail and move the door. Another important variable to consider is the safety feature that are built into the garage door opener.
All garage door openers manufactured today must include safety features. Most garage door openers utilize photo-eye sensors, which emit an invisible beam of light near the floor. If the beam is broken, the garage door opener will automatically reverse the movement of the garage door.
Additionally, auto-reverse mechanism will sense an object that is preventing the movement of the garage door, and will reverse the movement of the door. Other safety features include motion alerts, lock sensors, and timer-to-close functions. These safety features prevent the garage door from damaging the individual or there property.
In addition to the required safety features for garage doors, there are a variety of smart feature that are available as optional add-ons for garage door openers. Built-in Wi-Fi allows the opener to be controlled from any location. Geofencing will automatically open the garage door opener as you arrive at the location.
Voice control allows you to control the garage door opener by voice commands through devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home speakers. Additionally, a battery backup allows the garage door opener to operate even during power outages. Activity logs show every use of the garage door opener.
Finally, there are a few installation requirement for the garage door opener. A standard 120-volt outlet is required. The rail should be installed within one inch of the center line of the garage door.
For long garage doors, support struts are required to prevent the rail from sagging. The emergency release cord for the door should be low enough to allow immediate access to the garage door in case of an emergency. Finally, the header bracket should be installed just above the closed garage door.
Following these installation requirements will ensure the smooth operation of the selected garage door opener. You should of checked teh installation manual as well. It is actualy a lot of work to get it right.
