How To Choose A Liftmaster Garage Door Opener

Have you ever come back from work and tried to open the garage, and it won’t buck, and you are looking for a replacement? Or maybe you just constructed a new house or business premise, and you are looking for the best garage door opener that suits your needs. Well, we are here to help. A garage door opener is an automated system that lets you open your garage as you get in or out so that you don’t have to do it yourself. This system is very dependable because it takes away the hustle of getting out of your car to open your garage door after a long day. Finding the proper opener for your garage door can be hard because of the wide variety of available alternatives. That is because the openers come with a wide range of specs that make it almost impossible for you to pick out the ideal type of opener that will suit your needs perfectly. However, don’t fret because we are here to help you find the perfect garage door opener. To know which type of unlocking system is right for you, you’ll first have to answer these few simple questions that will guide you and help you find one that suits you best:

What’s your estimated budget?

You should be able to have a budget on the type of opening mechanism you are planning to install in your garage. You should also consider the cost of purchase and the cost of maintenance you will incur on that particular system.

However, keep in mind that buying a cheap system might be expensive since these systems require more maintenance, which makes them less reliable.

Where is your garage located?

The garage’s location can also be another significant factor that you’ll have to consider. It can mean the difference between a good night’s sleep and a rude wakeup call in the morning, depending on the type of opener you are going to install.

The chain-driver garage door opener, for instance, is very clanky and is therefore not very suitable when used in homes or offices, especially if the garage’s location is close to either the sleeping quarters or the offices, respectively.

If you feel like installing an opener that is too noisy will affect your daily routine. You should probably install openers that are more accommodating, such as the jack-shaft or the belt drive openers, which are quieter.

How heavy is your garage door?

The heavier your garage door is, the stronger your opening mechanism should be. Belt-driver mechanisms, for instance, should not be installed to operate hefty doors because the door’s weight can take a significant toll on them, causing them to wear and tear quickly and this might cost you more money in maintenance.

The best type of system for heavy doors is the chain-driver opener because it’s more durable, and you can use it over a long time.

What safety measures does the system have?

A garage door opener’s design enables it to do one thing, convenience. You should, therefore, make sure that your garage door suits your needs.

You should go for the best opener that is good for you, which is also within your budget range, Weighing the benefits offered between the two will ultimately give you a good idea of where, to begin with, the purchase.

Security features

It’s now possible for people to hack your phone, computer, home security system, and, by extension, even your garage. Ensuring your garage is safely secured is the best step you can make to help you have a good night’s sleep and keep your property secure.

Try as much as you can to choose a garage opener with the latest anti-hacking security system to make your property safer and keep off intruders.

Many garage door systems have a lot of security features that ensure that no one tries to break into your house while you are away. One of these safety measures is having a rollover passcode.

This feature works by changing the passcode whenever you open your garage door with your remote to keep people from hacking the connection and getting the unlock codes.
Others also have an anti-burglar system that detects when someone is trying to force open the locks and warns you about the same through an alarm or an alert on your smartphone.

Getting answers to these questions will help you narrow down the types of garage openers that may be suitable for you and help you decide which among them best suits your needs. Let’s take a dive and look at some of the various specs offered by different garage door openers.

1. Types of drives available

There are four major types of drives incorporated in garage opening mechanisms: the belt drive mechanism, chain-mechanism, screw-drive mechanism, and the jackshaft openers. The type of drives in the opening device determines the experience you’ll have when using the garage door openers.

Jackshaft & Direct-drive openers

Direct-drive openers

This garage opener is best suited for residential houses with light to moderate-heavy doors depending on the motor’s potency. Because rather than a moving belt or chain, it is the motor that moves along the doorway’s length.

Unlike the other types of openers, the direct-drive opener is silent. The motor motion helps lift the door attached to some J-arm, making the whole process extremely quiet.

Belt-drive openers

These openers operate using a belt mechanism attached to the garage door to open and close garage doors. They use a rubber belt, which would make them very suitable for residential places, thus making them some of the quietest garage openers to choose from in the market.

They’re somewhat pricey; however, although installing one in your garage would be a significant investment.

One of the disadvantages of installing belt-drive mechanisms is that they are prone to wear and tear and require maintenance from time to time. However, this depends on the type of rubber material used to make the belt, which consequently determines its resistance to wear and tear.

Using this type of opener on the heavy door, however, is not suitable since too much strain on them can cause them to wear out quickly as compared to the other types of garage door openers. This sort of garage door opener is best suited for people with garage doors that are light.

Screw-drive openers

Since it does not have a lot of parts, the screw-drive opener is comparatively reliable. It operates by rotating a metal pole that’s threaded like a screw to lift and lower the garage doors. Screw-drives are not noisy, but they’re not quiet either. They tend to be in the middle of the pack.

They require slightly more maintenance than the other kinds of openers since, despite having fewer moving parts, the metal pole is threaded meshes against a driveway section with plastic teeth. It may strip them and cause them to wear, especially if you don’t lubricate the mechanism enough. Constant lubrication and greasing needed to help prevent the plastic’s teeth from wearing down.

These openers are not very powerful with heavy doors since the extra weight may strain the drive’s teeth, causing it to wear and tear.

Horsepower

The quantity of horsepower you’ll need to start a garage door depends on the weight of the door, but the average amount of power required is near 1.5 HP. Doors come in three categories: Standard, medium (insulated), and heavy doors.

1/2 HP (standard)

This type of motor is the least powerful but also the most popular engine for most garage doors. Pairing most drives with this type of motor works alright when lifting most garage doors, but overloading them can lead to wear and tear.

3/4 HP

These types of motors are more powerful and more expensive than the 1.5 HP motors. They can handle bigger doors, such as the insulated doors and one-piece wooden doors.

1 HP

Motors with this amount of horsepower made to lift heavy industrial doors. These types of doors are more massive and therefore require engines with more strength to raise them. They are costly when compared with the regular models, but they are more durable and long-lasting.

The extra power allows the motors to lift their load more readily and reduces wear and tear, making them very useful. They provide more strength and efficiency and are more durable when compared to the other two. They also have a much bigger lifespan than the 1/2 and 3/4 HP motors, making them more reliable.

What to look at when buying motors:

The opener motor’s lifespan

Fitting an opener with limited horsepower to a heavy door will undoubtedly damage the machine because it can’t handle the strain. Instead, you should install a device with the appropriate power to make sure it lifts the door with ease.

The size and weight of the garage door

The bigger and heavier the garage door, the more horsepower you’ll need to operate it. Equipping your opener with a less powerful motor will reduce its lifespan, and it might also damage your equipment and cost you more money in repairs.

The type of motors (DC&AC)

There are two types of motors, direct current motors, and alternating current motors. DC motors are mostly used on belt drive openers, although manufacturers have started incorporating them into other forms of openers.

They’re much better than AC motors since they give the added benefit of smooth starts and stops, which means they impact a slow lift and a slow stop when opening and closing a door. Such a feature cuts the noise they would have otherwise made and minimizes the door’s jerk as it starts, making it easier for you to operate it.

DC motors also offer a battery backup option that makes it possible for you to use your garage a couple more times even when there’s a power blackout.

Conclusion

Having a reliable, good quality garage door is very important. If it doesn’t bother you and fits your requirements, you won’t even feel like it is there. Picking the wrong opener will make you feel frustrated, so you need to take your time and do thorough research before choosing any opener for your garage. It’s also a good idea to talk to a professional who will guide you, advise you, and help you make the best choice during the process. Have fun picking out the best garage door opener that fits your needs.

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