What To Look For When You Need To Buy A New Garage Door Opener
Posted on: 11 June 2020
If you've had your garage door and opener for several years, you may wonder what to look for when you need to replace the opener. You can buy a door and opener together to make sure they're a good match, but if the door is still good, you may just want to buy a new opener. Here are some things to look for.
Choose The Right Horsepower
Garage door openers are rated by horsepower. The more horsepower, the faster the door operates and the more weight it can lift. Single-layer metal garage doors are popular with homeowners, and a basic opener is a good match and the most popular option.
If your garage door has multiple layers, insulation, is larger than usual, or is made from a heavy material such as wood, then you'll want to examine the horsepower ratings carefully and choose an opener with enough power to lift the door daily for years to come.
Select The Drive Type
Openers operate in different ways. A chain-drive opener is a popular choice and it's the most affordable. The downside to this type of opener is that it is noisy. If you don't think noise will be a problem, then a chain drive might be a good choice. If the garage is next to a bedroom, you may want a belt-drive opener instead. Although it costs more, it operates quietly.
Consider A Smart Opener
Choosing the drive and horsepower is fairly straightforward, but choosing the features you want in your garage door opener can be more difficult since you have different options depending on the brand and type of opener you select. You can even choose a smart opener that you can operate remotely or that senses your arrival and opens automatically.
Think About Safety Features
Some safety features you may want on your garage door opener include automatic closing so your door doesn't stay open all night, motion-sensing lights, and a battery backup so the door still operates when the power goes out.
If you buy your garage door and opener together, the company will usually install both of them for you. If you buy an opener yourself at a home improvement store, consider hiring a professional to install it.
DIY installation requires expertise since it's necessary to work with electricity, and garage doors are so heavy the job takes more than one person. Plus, you want to make sure the opener is installed correctly so the door operates properly and isn't a safety hazard.
If you need a new garage door opener, contact a company like Raynor Door Company.
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