Common Garage Door Opener Features
Have you recently bought yourself a new garage door opener? Or are you simply looking to install one for some quality of life improvements down at your humble abode? Regardless of your reasons for purchase or interest, this is made to be a handy little guideline on what to expect out of your new garage door opener features.
Now that there are so many options that’re available now for garage doors, it’s good to know what sort of conveniences you prefer, as there are door openers ranging from chain driven models and belt driven kinds, there are even advanced models that open with a phone app.
Basic Considerations and Beginnings
To figure this out, and it’s good for any buyer, consideration must be taken for the quality of the device that you’re getting. A rough estimate for a high quality garage door opener would be around 10 – 15 years, maybe even longer with proper maintenance. Such factors, alongside the natural wear and tear of your garage door opener’s lifespan will help determine how long it’ll last as a functioning device.
Now, try to avoid the mistake of immediately buying a garage door opener without taking a mental note of your basic needs. It may seem like a bit of a no brainer considering the simplicity of its use, but there is power to consider for your garage door opener, the weight of your garage door. As well as extension kits and the installation of safety precautions.
Garage Door Opener Features – Horsepower Needs
As stated above, the amount of horsepower your garage door opener will need is entirely dependent on the weight of your door. As an example, if your door is around 20’ in width, then it’s a safe bet that you will need ½ in horsepower at the very least, for your device’s convenience. And take note that the speed in which the garage door will open and close is dependent on the horsepower of your device. As a good rule of thumb, it’s better to have a garage door opener that’s a little bit overqualified for your door than one that’s slightly underpowered. It should lift the garage door at 6-8 inches a second.
General Maintenance and Springs
In the event that something breaks or you’ve scheduled a maintenance check on your garage door opener, unless you know the specific issue that’s giving you a headache, it would be safe to check the door springs first, as it’s the most common type of malfunction that requires professional help. And though these springs don’t measure the lifespan in years, it does measure the cycles of use instead. As a full cycle is just the opening and closing of the door once. Tension springs, which are located either above the track or beside the door, can perform around 5,000 to 10,000 cycles. Torsion springs, which are located above the door, last between 15,00 and 20,000 cycles. And the more it’s used, the more it’s worn down.
General maintenance is enough to ensure a longer lifespan for your garage door opener, but it’s good to have a handy checklist of priorities. So, here are a few:
- Test the door balance
- Perform regular reversal tests
- Lubricate all moving parts
- And a visual inspection of all the components.
Then finally, if you checked all this over and still aren’t satisfied, you could call our expert team at Straight Up Garage Doors, both for installation and maintenance.
