The Differences in Garage Door Openers
Type of Drive
There are three basic types of garage door openers drives, and they are belt, chain, and screw. A belt drive has a rubber belt that serves to open and close the door and they are the most quiet type of electric doors available today. Chain drive automatic doors are the oldest type made and continue to be a popular and relatively inexpensive choice. Screw automatic doors have very few moving parts and require very little maintenance compared to the other two. They are also the easiest of the three for a do-it-yourself’er to install in their garage.
The chain drive is the noisiest of the three types, belts make the least noise, and screw type falls somewhere in between the other two. If price is a big consideration, stick with the chain drive and shy away from the belt drive as they tend to be the most expensive of the three.
Power Options
If you have a one-car garage with a relatively light door, a motor smaller than the standard ½ horsepower that is used on two-door garages will get the job done. Heavier doors such as carriage doors will require a more powerful 3/4-horsepower motor. If you have any doubt at all, it is best to always go with more power as the difference in prices between them is minimal.
Light Options
Lights on automatic garage doors are often the primary source of light in the garage. Most standard units can support two 60-watt light bulbs. If you have a larger garage, you may very well want to consider a unit that can support two 100-watt lights.
Safety Options
A remote control entry device is standard on all electric garage door openers. However you do have a choice as to what the remotes can do. Standard openers have only one button and only serve to open the garage door on command. Others come with multiple buttons that can operate more than one door and do other tasks. You can also find roller garage doors that have keyless entry pads. These can be used to manually enter a code that opens the door or they can be programmed to recognise fingerprints for those looking for a more secure system that cannot be broken into easily by thieves.
Consider all of these options before you buy your electric garage find the right one to meet your expectations and needs.
