Tips On Choosing A Garage Door Opener

Garage Door Openers Types

Before you purchase a garage door opener you need to consider several things. Different kinds of garage door openers have separate range of strengths and weaknesses. The types available to choose from are screw drive, chain drive, belt drive and torsion drive.

Chain Driven Garage Door Openers

Chain drive garage door openers are one of the most powerful types of available openers. Particularly suited for use with the heaviest doors from wooden to heavy duty steel garage doors. Although the chains used in these systems tend to stretch, some models incorporate a feature for automatic tension correction that adjusts the tension as it loosens over time. As the most affordable option, chain driven openers also have the noisiest function because of their extensive number of parts requiring a considerable amount of maintenance to keep them in good working order.

Torsion Garage Door Openers

The innovative new Torsion garage door openers combine superior speed, silence and strength to provide perfect service while freeing up additional ceiling space for your garage due to it's special torsion shaft's opener being located either above or at the side of the garage door opening. These torsion style garage door openers are ideal for those with SUVs and other tall vehicles as well as those with higher or shorter garage ceilings.

Screw Drive Garage Door Openers

Screw driven openers are quieter than those with a chain drive. Coming in either all metal models or designs that work with a threaded plastic shafts for improved silence during use. Screw driven garage door openers have the added benefit of being stronger due to their fewer moving parts.

Belt Drive Garage Door Openers

These type of garage door openers use rubber belts for the most quiet operation, a must for garages near or under the home's living areas. Belt driven garage door openers are a more expensive option compared to other opener types but can be well worth the investment in your home.

Power & Energy Efficiency Considerations

Finding out whether your garage door opener operates on AC or DC power has considerable bearing on how many years you're looking for your garage door opener to last. DC openers are often equipped with a 'soft' closing and opening feature that allows you to control the speed of your opener's opening and closing cycles, although a few AC models also have this feature. Many garage door openers come in both power options, however DC models use less power during operation making them a more energy efficient choice.

Other Considerations Regarding Garage Door Openers

Another feature to look for in a new garage door opener is it's strength as this has a direct impact on how long your garage door will last.

Garage door opener strength is measure in horse power (HP) with models typically coming in 1/3, 1/2 or 3/4 horse power. If, for example, you have a heavy wooden garage door, heavy duty steel door or carriage style garage door it's best to get the strongest, 3/4 horse power model.

Garage Door Opener Accident Prevention

The new laws require all garage door models to be equipped with safety 'eyes' programmed to detect even the smallest thing that may cross the path of your garage door. Should anything or anyone enter this path the garage door will immediately stop and rise away form the object in order to prevent potential injury.

Garage Door Opener Security

Not all security features are the same when comparing various makes and models of garage door openers. Some door opener systems can be set to remain closed for a specified amount of time, ideal for people who leave their house for a considerable amount of time or who travel a lot.

Another useful security feature is rolling code remote controls that help prevent other people from opening your garage doors. Random codes are generated every time the door opener is used so code thieves aren't able to capture your code and to prevent your neighbors from accidentally opening your garage door via their remotes.

Different Features For Garage Door Opener Remotes

There are a number of garage door opener remotes that allow you to control opening and closing speeds. Others are built with a few or more buttons allowing the control of additional garage doors with a single remote. Other garage door opener remotes come in a miniature keychain size for easy portability.