Having a garage door opener is a nice benefit to your home that can help to enhance lighting, safety, and provide the owner with secure access to the garage. Every now and then, there comes a time to have the garage door opener replaced and most of the times, homeowners are not too familiar with this device. So, before purchasing a new garage door opener, it can be extremely helpful to learn the basics before buying a replacement.
The Basics
When purchasing a new garage door opener, there are a few factors to consider, such as the type of garage door you currently have. The average height of a garage door is usually between 7-8 feet, and depending on whether it is a double or single door, the width will vary. Knowing what kind of garage door(s) you own will help you to determine the motor power you will need in order to open and close the garage door smoothly. A garage with double doors will need at least a half-horsepower motor, while a single door will be able to use less power. Nonetheless, purchasing a soft starting and stopping unit for the garage door will help to lessen the natural wear and tear of the door.
Another good thing to note is the type drive system you had before or what type garage door opener drive system you would like to purchase this time around. There are a few different systems that include:
- Belt-drive system (“The Quiet One”) – is a very quiet system that can even lift the heaviest door. Other than being the quietest, these systems also are the smoothest systems in the industry thus far.
- Screw-drive system (“The Simple One”) – operates by moving along steel rods and is powerful. One positive thing about these garage door openers is that they require less maintenance due to having fewer moving parts.
- Chain-drive system (“The Noisy One”) – is the most common garage door opener and also the least expensive. One downside is that these systems are noisier than the belt and screw-drive systems.
Safety and Security
As with any newly purchased device, it is important to know what you are working with. The safety of the homeowners, family, pets, and/or friends is essential to any garage door opener manufacturer. In fact, it is a federal law that ALL garage door openers must have a manual release, features that prevent harm caused by the garage door, and/or rolling codes for added security.
Usually, the feature used to prevent crushing of any kind is through a beam. This electrical beam will immediately make the garage door go in the reverse direction if an object breaks the path of the beam. Another safety feature is the manual release. Just like it states, the manual release allows the homeowner to open the door manually without the use of power. Finally, the rolling codes that are added to newer garage door openers prevent code theft by randomly generating a new code after each “opening” action. With all the impressive technology nowadays, this feature is essential to keeping your home safe from robbers, as older systems can be hacked.
Essentially, before going to the store to purchase your new garage door opener, do some research. Take a look at your existing opener and decide if the system you currently have, worked for you in the past or was more or less of a nuisance. From there, do more research and don’t be afraid to ask the professionals. In fact, Dynamic Door Service Today offers the highest-quality repair and installation services for all makes and models of garage door openers, including for those we sell and those we don’t. If you’re in need of service, please call 602-335-1077.