It doesn’t matter if you’re a homeowner or not, garage door openers have now become important investments for any home. With the best opener installed on your doors it will be easier to gain access and keep intruders out of your house- but how do you choose which one is right? Getting some help with our quick process can save time in searching through all those listings!
Types of Garage Door Openers
A garage door opener is a device that helps you to regulate how to open and close the door to your garage. This can be achieved using a remote control or a wall switch depending on your preferences for a smart garage door opener. With the rapid change in technological applications, garage openers are also changing for the better. These features have been necessitated by the need to have more security, ease of operation, and reliability for car owners.
Chain drive openers
The concept of chain drive garage door openers is similar to the bicycle metal chain as they resemble each other. The role of the chain is to aid the movement of the pedal for the bicycle whereas for the garage door opener the chain is meant to pull a trolley connected to the j-arm. A j-arm is a metal bar located inside the garage door. The pulling process usually creates some noise thus not appropriate to locate it close to your bedroom. However, the good thing about them is that they are very strong and less costly.
Screwdrivers
This type of garage door openers use screws fixed on a metal rod for opening and closing the garage doors. Screwdrivers are convenient for one door garage set up and less noisy. For proper maintenance and performance, you will require to lubricate them regularly to maintain a quiet operation.
Belt drive
This type of garage door openers is usually effective and easy to operate compared to the chain and screwdriver openers. They apply the use of a durable rubber belt for opening and closing your garage door. They do not have any noise-related issues and therefore can be located closer to any room in your homestead including the bedroom. Due to the effective performance and reliability, they are costly and rare in the market.
Direct drive garage door openers
This type of garage door opener is quite reliable and fitted with a single movable part using the best technology. It has a simple operational structure that you can easily fix by playing the DIY solutions. This garage door opener is however costly to maintain in case of breakdown and even for the initial purchase.
Jackshaft opener
This type is among the smart garage door openers brands currently in the market and employs the latest technology to operate. They are usually fitted to the garage door torsion to facilitate the opening and closing. This smart garage door opener has advanced technology settings that allow connection to Wi Fi and the use of remote controls control. They allow for frequent updates thus making your security better and updated. Its latest technology uses notion sense therefore more reliable and extra security. You can also connect it to your phone with a camera as an added convenience for monitoring. Jackshaft openers attract high prices compared to other garage door openers. They have a power backup system and thus are prone to power outage.
Sizes of Garage Door Openers for your Home
Knowing the right size for your garage door opener is an important aspect while shopping for the best garage door openers for your home. This influences how your car will fit in the space and ease of operation whether personally or virtually. Getting the right size of your garage door opener is determined by the size of the horsepower as detailed below:
⅓ HP
This type of opener is usually light and reliable handling a single piece type garage door. It allows for manual fitting and can work on the wooden garage doors openers as well. The downside is that it will not be able to serve for long if used on a wood. It’s less costly thus might save you a few dollars in the initial purchase and installation.
½ HP
This type of garage door opener is strong enough to handle different types of garage door. It works for both the double and single garage door operation.
¾ HP
This type of opener facilitates the smooth operation of opening and closing heavy garage doors with convenience. They are usually long-lasting and reliable despite the frequency of operation. As such they are very costly. They can also serve well on wooden garage doors which are usually affected by humidity. This is because they have the strength and the ability to maintain them and are easy to install.
1 HP
This type of opener performs well for heavier doors with a length of above 16 feet.
Which is Better: Chain or Belt Drive Garage Door Opener?
Cost
Chain drives are very affordable with their repair parts easy to find in the market compared to the belt drive. Most of the chain used to make them can be found and replaced faster, unlike the chain belt which is expensive and rare in the market. They also have less maintenance cost.
However, considering longevity rubber drives despite being costly is effective for long term use. In most openers, the friction caused during the use of chain drives usually makes them weak, shortening their lifespan, unlike the rubber drive.
Strength
Chain doors are a better option when operating heavy garage doors compared to rubber drives. They are the best choice if you are going to handle steel door garage operation. The chain drive can comfortably handle two-door pieces, unlike their counterpart rubber drives that might not have the ability to handle steel rail.
Noise
Rubber belts are best situated when noise is an issue especially at home, unlike the chain drive that makes a lot of noise while pulling the garage doors open.
Convenience
Chain drive might require fixing quite often after being in operation for a while which is an unlikely occurrence for the belt chain. You won’t have issues of having to readjust the belt drive while using them for your garage door and therefore quite convenient and reliable.
Call the Garage Door Installation Experts in Eagle Mountain, UT
Whether you will go for Chain or Belt Drive Garage Opener for your home. The garage door installation experts at Powell Garage Doors have the solution for any of your garage door needs.
We have been installing and repairing all types of residential or commercial doors in Eagle Mountain, UT and the surrounding areas, so we know just what to do when you’re having a problem with yours. Call us today!
