Installing A Garage Door Opener On Your Residential Garage Door
Posted on: 31 January 2023
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Garage doors are heavy and hard to open and close unless they are adjusted perfectly. To help manage the weight and make the doors easier to move, many homeowners use garage door openers on their doors. However, getting the right one is essential when considering openers for your residential garage.
Power Rating
Choosing garage door openers for your home starts with getting openers strong enough to lift the doors without straining the electric motor. Modern garage door openers use chains or belts to lift the door and gear reduction at the motor to reduce the power requirements.
Using a motor that is smaller and lighter means less stress on the brackets supporting the opener, and garage door openers are not designed to carry a lot of weight. Instead, they are built to pull the door along the track and into an open position. The door track supports the door, but the opener brackets and support system must be able to support the opener and hardware used to move the door.
Most door openers have ratings for general door ranges, so finding one that fits is not hard, but deciding on things like chain drives, belt drives, and additional features is vital.
Drive Systems
Chain drive garage door openers use a steel frame and a long chain with gears in several places along the length of the opener. When the door is in motion, the chain and gears work together. Over time, the chain can stretch and require adjustment, or it will rattle and make noise when in use.
A stretched chain can slap the frame and vibrate badly, creating a lot of noise. If not dealt with, the chain can stretch enough to break or come off the sprockets, and the opener will stop working.
Modern garage door openers that use an aluminum frame and a belt drive system are lighter and produce less noise. However, the belt can also stretch in time, and maintenance will be necessary. The belt drive opener is often quieter when the belt is stretched, so you must check the door opener regularly to ensure everything is working correctly.
Door and Opener Service
Garage door openers require some service and care, but the door and track system in your garage should also have yearly maintenance. The door service handling the maintenance for you can take care of door and opener maintenance at the same time.
Keeping up with the maintenance will ensure everything works smoothly together, closing the door tightly on the seals. Talk with your local garage door company to learn more about garage door openers.