The following considerations are vital in choosing the right and effective garage door opener.
Ideal drive
Chain drive option
Among the many options available is a chain drive opener. These are considered to be the most durable and cost effective openers in the market. They’re efficient in enhancing general door performance as they make use of a metal chain to lift and lower the door to open or close respectively. This type of openers is highly recommended for one piece wooden doors and oversized heavily installed ones. Also, they provide best performance for the doors installed in strong wind rated environments. Their flipside is that they are known to produce considerable amount of noise. Good news is that if you design a detached garage or one that is away from bedrooms, noise factor will not be an issue.
Screw- drive openers
Screw drives depend on a long metallic rod that runs against a plastic teethed section of the drive to lift and lower the door. They’re affordable with less movable parts hence providing relatively quiet operations compared to other drive types. They are best for doors installed in garages in residential areas as well as commercial places such as resorts and offices. Though they require less maintenance due to less movable parts, regular lubrication must be done. The plastic teeth that facilitate the rolling of the screw are prone to wear and tear if not well lubricated. Screw-drive openers are ideal for single car light garage doors.
Belt drives
If you are bothered by noise, a belt drive opener is the best option. This is because it does not have metallic parts that produce banging noise as they move. They lift and lower the door using a rubber belt that runs on a cog. Note that there are different types of belt drives depending on the current that include;
o Direct current drives- They provide soft operations hence quietest with reduced wear and tear thus durable.
o Alternating current drive- They operate at full power and this may cause some jerking leading to a bit of noise.
Horse power
1/2 Hp Model
They are most common speed models ideal for standard doors. A ½ horse power drive can lift the weight of most garage doors. However, ½ HP motors can easily give in to extra heavy weight exerted on them especially by insulated doors, one piece wooden doors and other heavy double car doors. This leads to premature wear and tear.
3/4 Hp Model
These motors are designed for heavy duty doors of the garage as they have additional power compared to ½ HP ones. This simply means that they can lift the one piece wooden doors, double car garages, heavily insulated doors as well as the ones with wide load rating. Despite the heavy weight they lift, they are durable but costing slightly more compared to the ½ HP.
1 Hp Model
They are efficient in lift the industrial, commercial and oversized doors. Contact a technician to guide you in buying the best garage door opener.