Garage Door Openers

About Garage Door Openers

There are three basic types of garage door openers:

• Chain Loop - This is the most common, budget-friendly type of garage door opener. The motor is mounted near the center of the ceiling, where a rail guides a trolley across the ceiling to the top of the door. The trolley is attached to the door arm, which is attached to the door. When the trolley moves forward, the door closes; when the trolley moves backward, the door opens. This is all done by a chain loop inside the rail. The chain loop style door opener is usually the noisiest and least expensive garage door opener available.

• Screw Drive System - This system uses a long screw that is inside the rail. The screw pushes the trolley as the rail guides it. This system is slower than the chain loop or the reinforced rubber belt, but will apply more force than the others. This makes it useful for one-piece doors that are larger and heavier than typical garage doors. The screw drive system is a little quieter than the chain loop system.

• Reinforced Rubber Belt - This is the quietest and most expensive of the garage door openers. It is essentially the same as the chain loop system, but uses a reinforced rubber belt to move the trolley, creating considerably less noise than the chain loop.

Features of Garage Door Openers

Remote Control

The first remote control garage door opener had a transmitter and a receiver that controlled the opener. This used a single frequency to open and close the door. Unfortunately, only a few frequencies were used to run the openers. As a result, neighbors were opening each other's garage doors.

The solution was a pre-set digital code using dipswitches on the receiver and the remote. Now when the remote sends a code, it also sends a new code using an encoder. This keeps the remote and receiver on the same codes while protecting them from being recorded and used at a later time.

Additional Features

A few upgrades have been made to the garage door opener. Common feature upgrades included with most garage door openers are:

• A courtesy light that comes on when the opener is activated and shuts off after a designated time.
• An automatic reverse system that prevents the door from closing on something (like a bike or child) that may be in the way. If something passes through while the door is closing, it will automatically reverse to the open position.
• An emergency release that allows you to open the door manually in an emergency.

Buying an Opener

Garage door openers come in all shapes and sizes. Most systems are affordable, but there are high-priced models available for sale. To make sure you get the right deal, you will want to carefully compare prices and features before buying.

You will also want to consider the type of garage door you will be using the opener on before you go shopping. Wood garage doors are a good example of doors that weren't built to be used with an automatic opener. If you have any doubt about your door system, you should contact a professional who is willing to take a look at the door or who can offer you advice based on your description.

Written by KarenSchweitzer