Types of Garage Door Openers
While deciding on what garage door system to use, the garage door opener
will also be a factor. It may not be easy to choose a garage door opener,
and that there is a variety of them out there does not necessarily make it
easier to choose. Depending on the type of garage doors you have, the
choice for a garage door opener can be either an easy one or a daunting
task. The difference in the types of openers available is a result of the
mechanism used to raise and lower the door. Here are a few common types of
garage door openers currently available.
Chain Drive Garage Door Opener
This is the most popular garage door opener. Moving the garage door up and
down depends on a chain that pushes and pulls a trolley that causes the
door to move. Installing it can be quite a challenge, so, professional
installation is recommended. The reliability of the chain driven opener hs
kept it around for years.
However, this opener can be quite noisy. As it involves moving metal
against metal, you will certainly hear them. The noise that comes with it
is the biggest setback associated with the chain driven openers. If your
garage is positioned under a bedroom, you may want to reconsider installing
this as your opener.
Belt-driven garage door repair
Belt-driven openers are almost similar to the chain drive openers in terms
of design. Instead of the chain, these openers use a belt as their push and
pull mechanism. The rubber belt used on these openers is durable and moves
quietly, dispensing the chain drive openers’ inconvenience. Their
reliability makes them some of the most highly recommended openers and
manufacturers offer life warranties on the power head and rubber belt. The
only downside to the belt-driven openers is that they are a bit more
expensive than other openers.
Screw Drive Garage Door Openers
Screw-driven doors are held with a worm screw and a groove carriage that
rides up under it. The worm screw turns the carriage and lifts the door
when the opener is activated. Although a bit noisier than the belt-driven
openers, the screw drive opener is much quieter than the chain drive. These
openers are also considered the fastest and strongest of them all. Their
price is also a bit moderate as compared to the belt drive openers.
Torsion Spring Automatic Opener
This opener is the least common type. To open and close the garage door,
the opener turns a torsion spring rod. Since they do not use a rail, these
openers operate with less noise. They are more expensive to install but
take up much less space as compared to other openers. Torsion spring
openers are, however, known to be problematic and are easily jammed.
Once you have decided on what opener to go with, you will need to ensure
that they are properly installed and tested. All the above types of garage
door openers require regular maintenance checks to ensure they are in
perfect working condition.