Garage Door Opener Power Considerations

August 29th, 2012 Posted in Garage Door Openers
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Buying a new automatic garage door opener for your home involves deciding on the type of drive system, the options and features, and the amount of power the opener has.  Garage door opener sold for residential use can have motors with as little as 1/3 horsepower (HP) or as much as a full 1 HP.  Generally speaking, bigger is better but not for the reason most homeowners think.

Most people believe that larger and heavier doors need a more powerful garage door opener, but the reality is that even the largest and heaviest garage doors can be opened and closed with the smallest garage door opener on the marked if the garage door is properly adjusted.

Garage doors weigh hundreds of pounds and would be very difficult to open without some help from the lift assistance springs.  Most garage doors use either torsion type springs mounted inside the garage above the opening or extension springs mounted along the tracks to help lift the weight of the door.  When properly adjusted, the door will be easy to open and close by hand no matter what it weighs.

A larger garage door opener motor is desirable for two reasons:  It will operate more quietly and it will last longer.  An automatic garage door opener with a larger motor does not have to work as hard to open and close the door which keeps noise to a minimum.  In addition, a typical garage door opener goes through 500 to 1,000 opening and closing cycles every year.  If the opener does not have to work as hard, the wear from these opening and closing cycles will be less and the opener will last longer before it wears out.

 

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High Cycle Garage Door Torsion Springs

August 29th, 2012 Posted in Garage Door Torsion Springs
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Buying a new automatic garage door opener for your home involves deciding on the type of drive system, the options and features, and the amount of power the opener has.  Garage door opener sold for residential use can have motors with as little as 1/3 horsepower (HP) or as much as a full 1 HP.  Generally speaking, bigger is better but not for the reason most homeowners think.

Most people believe that larger and heavier doors need a more powerful garage door opener, but the reality is that even the largest and heaviest garage doors can be opened and closed with the smallest garage door opener on the marked if the garage door is properly adjusted.

Garage doors weigh hundreds of pounds and would be very difficult to open without some help from the lift assistance springs.  Most garage doors use either torsion type springs mounted inside the garage above the opening or extension springs mounted along the tracks to help lift the weight of the door.  When properly adjusted, the door will be easy to open and close by hand no matter what it weighs.

A larger garage door opener motor is desirable for two reasons:  It will operate more quietly and it will last longer.  An automatic garage door opener with a larger motor does not have to work as hard to open and close the door which keeps noise to a minimum.  In addition, a typical garage door opener goes through 500 to 1,000 opening and closing cycles every year.  If the opener does not have to work as hard, the wear from these opening and closing cycles will be less and the opener will last longer before it wears out.

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Garage Door Repair-Big Names Usually Just Mean Big Repair Bills

August 8th, 2012 Posted in Garage Door Companies, Garage Door Contractors, Garage Door Repairs
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If you’re having a problem with your overhead garage door or your automatic garage door opener and you suspect that the scope of repair is beyond your DIY abilities calling a garage door repair company with a big name might just mean a big repair bill.

Garage door repair just like electrical repair, plumbing repair or heating and air conditioning repair has it big huge repair companies that are practically a household name and many more medium to small size local garage door repair companies.

The misconception is that bigger garage door repair company is better or that bigger is cheaper or even that bigger is more reliable and the real hard facts are that none of that is true. Your local garage door repair company has far more to gain by having you as a happy satisfied customer than the big name overhead door company and your local garage door company has far more to lose by not treating you the customer professionally and fair.

Small to medium size garage door repair companies don’t have the huge overhead that big name companies do and can therefore afford to do the same work for less and because they don’t have huge advertising and marketing budgets they have to capitalize on every new customer opportunity. This will generally result in less expensive garage door repair bills for you the valued customer and because the garage door company is smaller the owner will usually be hands on.

When you need your garage door repair look for a local garage door company and beware of the national scam companies that have popped up across the country. Ask for the owners name and ask where they are located.

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How Much Power Does Your Garage Door Opener Need?

August 7th, 2012 Posted in Garage Door Repairs
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When shopping for a new garage door opener, one choice you will need to make is how many horsepower the opener has.  Garage door openers are available with motors that that have as little as 1/3 hp and as much as a full horsepower.  The natural inclination is to assume that the larger and heavier the garage door, the more horsepower the opener needs.

There is some truth to this idea, but not nearly as much as you might think.  In fact, the weight and size of the garage door has relatively little to do with the power of the opener.  That’s because garage doors have lift assist springs that do most of the heavy lifting.  No matter what size the door is, if the springs have been properly adjusted the door will open easily by hand.

If your existing garage door feels heavy or difficult to open, the springs may be out of adjustment or due for replacement.  Have the garage door serviced and adjusted by a qualified garage door technician before installing a new garage door opener.  Otherwise, the new opener will wear out quickly from the strain of opening the improperly adjusted door.  Never try to adjust or replace the springs yourself.  Garage door springs are under a lot of tension and can cause a severe injury or even death.

Getting back to the horsepower of the garage door opener, any sized opener should be able to open any properly adjusted garage door.  However, higher horsepower motors are quieter and operate more smoothly than low horsepower motors.  Also, an opener with a larger motor will last longer than a smaller one.  A high horsepower motor does not have to work as hard as a smaller motor to open the garage door so it will not wear out as quickly.

Your garage door contractor can help you select and install a garage door opener that meets your needs and fits your budget.

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Garage Door Opener Safety Checkup

August 7th, 2012 Posted in Garage Door Openers
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Modern garage door openers add convenience and provide an extra measure of security to your home.  Unlike automatic garage door openers sold decades ago, modern garage door openers are equipped with safety features that prevent injuries associated with older garage doors.  These safety features need to be working properly to provide maximum security and safety for your family.

Fortunately, it takes less than thirty minutes to run through a safety check to ensure your garage door’s safety features are properly adjusted and working as designed.  The first thing to check is the age of your garage door opener.  If it is more than 20 years old, you should replace it with a new garage door opener.  Garage door openers sold before 1993 are lacking important safety features that are standard equipment on every garage door opener today.

Next, check the spring tension by disengaging the opener while the door is in the closed position.  Then slowly open the door by hand.  Even though a garage door can weigh up to 400 pounds, the door should open easily and should stay in place when opened about halfway.  If the door is heavy, binds, will not stay partially open, or is otherwise difficult to open manually, have it adjusted by a garage door professional. Do not attempt to adjust the spring tension your elf!

Test the automatic reversing feature by re-engaging the opener and opening the door to the fully open position.  Place a two by four block of wood in the path of door and close the garage door.  The door should reverse automatically when it reaches the wood block.

Finally, test the photoelectric eye sensors.  Starting with the door in the open position, start closing the door with the opener.  Without getting in the way of the door, break the photo electric beam with your hand or a broom.  The door should immediately stop closing, reverse direction and return to the fully open position.

If any of your garage door safety features do not function properly, have the door serviced by an experienced garage door technician.

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