Imagine having to step out of the car late at night, and it’s raining or snowing, just to manually open the garage door. It’s the last thing anyone would want to do! Not only does this leave you exposed to harsh weather conditions, it also exposes you to possible threats. Those few minutes you spend manually opening your garage door might be the only time bad guys need to penetrate your home. This makes automatic garage door opener a sensible investment.
By being able to open your garage door through a handheld remote or through a smartphone app, parking your car in the garage is much more convenient. There are a lot of automatic garage door openers available in the market today all equipped with really cool features your home could greatly benefit from.
Buying a Garage Door Opener
There are several things homeowners should consider when purchasing a new automatic garage door opener. Make sure you consider the security and safety of the door, the quality of the motor, and of course the cost.
Buying a garage door can get pricey so make sure you are making a worthy investment. There are openers that come with special features like a backup power source or a timer that automatically closes the door at a predetermined time. Here’s a quick guide when buying a garage door opener.
Horsepower
To purchase an automatic opener with the right horsepower, check the rating of the existing unit in your garage. Best if you can find a unit that has equal or higher power. Most residential properties have single and double-car sectional aluminum or steel garage doors which are relatively light. A motor with a rating of 1/2 horsepower is more than enough for the doors.
Lift Systems
Your choice of lift systems determines how smoothly an opener moves the garage door. The most common lift systems are chain, belt, screw, direct drive or jackshaft.
A chain-driven lift system uses a durable steel chain like that of a bicycle. While it is reliable, it can be noisy.
Another type of lift system is belt-driven. This uses a reinforced rubber belt that reduces vibration. It is quieter than chain-driven system.
Screw-driven lift systems attach a long screw to the motor to move the garage door. These systems are powerful, fast, quiet and require less maintenance compared to chain- or belt-driven systems.
With direct drive motor, the chain stays in place, unlike in chain and belt driven systems wherein the motor remains stationary. The only moving part is the gear the motor uses to move while lifting the door.
Jackshaft is a type of direct drive lift system that mounts on the side of a torsion spring equipped garage door. It turns the spring unit directly instead of moving a trolley. It is compact and frees up the ceiling space.
Security
The main purpose of garage doors is to help prevent unauthorized access to your home. Did you know that police reports reveal that garages are the favorite entry point of burglars and thefts? If you are going to purchase a new door opener, you should look for these two standard security features: rolling codes and a lock mode.
Rolling codes use a unique verification code every time you access the remote in your car reducing the possibility of intruders guessing your code and use it later to enter your home.
Lock mode prevents the garage door opener from connecting to remotes and keypads when it’s active. You can activate this feature using the interior control panel for added security especially at night or if you’re going on a vacation.
Another helpful security feature uses a timer to close your garage door after use. This will add another layer of security to your garage.
Benefits of Automatic Garage Doors
There are many benefits to installing an automatic garage door. If you have small children, or if you have a disability, or is living with seniors, automatic openers will make it convenient for all of you. It makes entering and exiting the garage easier. No need to lift and push doors manually or having someone else do it for you.
Security is another benefit of investing in this kind of opener. With automatic garage door openers, it reduces the danger of having to get out of the car late at night to open the gate or having someone else do it for you. There’s no need to get out of the car until you are in the safety of your garage with doors closed.
These are just some of the advantages of having an automatic garage opener. The rest is for you to find out!
