Right Size Garage Door Opener

This belt drive garage door opener gives you plenty of lifting power with 2 horsepower and is very quiet according to users that switched from chain drive garage door openers with less power.

Right size garage door opener.

Most garage door openers come in a range of 1 3 horsepower to 1 horsepower. Belt drive garage door openers are similar in design to chain drive but instead of a hard metal chain the motor drives the carriage using a toothed belt. Use of the belt alone would make the belt drive opener quieter than a chain drive but additionally belt drive garage door openers typically employ dc powered motors as opposed to the ac motors used by chain drive openers. An opener with at least 1 2 horsepower is common for residential use.

The main consideration for a garage door opener is the drive type which refers to the actual chain belt or other mechanism that moves and lifts the door. In some circumstances the horsepower output of the motor should be considered as well but typically in commercial or industrial settings. If the garage is the main entrance to your home or you have a one piece door or a heavy oversized garage door you ll probably need one with the lifting power of a 3 4 to 1 1 4 horsepower opener. Garage door openers have motors that run on either alternating current ac or direct current dc.

The horsepower needed for your garage door opener is dependent on whether or not you want a long lasting opener verses replacing it every few cycles or the size of the door. Both plug into a standard home power outlet but dc powered openers convert ac to dc power. A minimum of 3 5 to 4 5 is required on either side of the door opening. 1 2 horsepower garage door openers work well with standard aluminum doors in a residential garage.

Garage door openers and horsepower. When it comes to garage door openers you ll find that the power they have to open the door is measured in horsepower. The advantages of a dc motor include smaller size quieter operation and softer starts and stops. The height of the garage door opening is the distance from the floor to the top of the garage door opening.

This is a very important measurement that determines if you will need an extension kit when purchasing your diy operator. Garage door openers typically range from 1 3 to over 1 horsepower. These doors don t need too much power to open so you can. For example if you would like to lift a double garage door one might suggest using a 1 2 horsepower because the door is heavier and larger.

This is the area available immediately adjacent to the door opening. The average garage door is around 8 x10 in size.