Garage door openers come in a wide variety of models with many options available. You can go
to your local home improvement store and find a wide variety of openers available, with variety
of prices. You will see screw drive, chain drive and belt drive models, each with its benefits.
You will also find a variety of other options like multiple remotes, keypads and MyQ technology.
Then there is the horse power of the motor.
How do you make the right choice?
You will need to consider several things in deciding on the type of opener you want to install or
have installed. First is the weight of the door. The weight of the door will help you decide on
the horse power of the motor, you will also need to know the height of the door. If your door is
made of wood or is very heavy, then you need to go with a larger horse power motor.
You must also decide between screw drive, chain drive and belt drive models. Screw drive models are
very strong, but are a bit more noisy. Chain drive models are quieter than the screw drive , but has less strength.
Belt drive models are very quiet and strong, but are the most expensive. Then there are all the other options like number of
remotes, external key pad and MyQ technology that allows you to open and close your garage door from your smart
phone or tablet and homelink compatibility, that will allow you to program the opener buttons
built into many newer model vehicles.
You also need to consider that the store bought models are sold with sectional rails that have
to be put together and are weaker than the solid piece rails that come with the professional
models.
The store bought models also use less expensive components in the motor, gear drive
and circuit boards. These models require more labor to install and need more maintenance to
keep them functioning properly.
If you plan on installing a garage door opener yourself, remember to check the balance of your
door prior to installation. To check for door balance, start with the door in the closed position
and the opener disengaged from the garage door, if an opener is installed. To disengage the
door from the opener you will need to pull the red rope or handle, this will disengage the door
from the opener.
With the door closed try to manually open the garage door. The garage door
should be easy to open. If the door is heavy to lift, the door needs to be balanced and there is a
good chance the spring(s) are failing or broken. A well balanced garage door is easy to open and
should sit balanced at each break in the panel or sections, it should not fall toward the floor or
try to fly open.
If the door falls toward the floor or tries to fly open then you may have the
wrong size spring(s) or the door needs to be adjusted, by adding winds to the spring.
If the door is not balanced call a garage door technician to balance the door and or replace the spring(s).
Garage door springs are dangerous and require special skills and tools. Balancing the door and
adjusting the spring(s) properly require and understanding of how many winds a spring can
handle and what the effects are of adding winds to a spring. Remember the door should be
easy to close and be balanced during closing, just like during opening.
Professional model garage door openers offer the same variety of options and the price
depends on the options chosen. Professional models come with the stronger single piece rail
system and the components in the motor, gear system and electronics are of higher quality
than store bought models. There is an added benefit in having professional installation as well.
A garage door technician will always check the balance of the garage door and evaluate all the
components making recommendations for repairs and adjustments, prior to installing a new
garage door opener.
You can get many years of quality service from store bought and professional model garage
door openers, if you maintain the proper function of the entire garage door system.
The real question comes down to cost and skill level to install a garage door opener. If you are
considering buy a store model and having a handy man install it for you, then you will be paying
about the same as having a professional model installed by a garage door technician. If you are
a do it your-selfer, be sure to have your door serviced by a garage door technician prior to
installing a new opener and about once a year to ensure the garage door system is working
properly.
