Garage door openers are technically complex powerhouses of machinery. Although the function they perform is a simple one, they are much more complicated than a simple lever and pulley, and in fact, have many features that cater to safety and efficiency. Here’s a guide to the most common questions we, the garage door opener installation and garage door opener repair experts at Mazal Garage Door & Gatesreceive regarding garage door openers on a regular basis.
What kinds of garage door openers are commonly available?
Chain drive openers made of a chain / metal cable hybrid, or all metal options are very popular. Belt drive systems are also popular and are made of a metal reinforced rubber belt - and are the more quiet option.
What garage door motor sizes are they?
½ and ¾ horsepower options based on garage door size and weight.
Can Someone Open my Garage Door without permission?
Whenever you’re away from home, you are going to want to make sure your garage is secure and can’t be opened by a random person. Most garage doors today have control panels that allow you to temporarily block the usage of remote controls on your garage, and you can also decide to unplug your garage door opener if you’re going to be away from home for a long time.
There was a power outage - how can I reprogram garage door opener settings?
Usually this is super easy and will require the use of a stepladder to climb up to access the opener directly, on which will be affixed the instructions for programing.
The Door is Reversing but not Closing
All North American garage doors made since 1993 have two kinds of automatic reversal systems, a mechanic one and one based on the use of photocells. If the eye beam of the photocell based automatic reversal system is misaligned, the door will not shut all the way, and it will reverse. For this to be corrected, the sensors of the eye beams need to be realigned to be level.
Is there backup battery power?
Most garage door openers have built in backup batteries that can provide around twenty hours more of opening and closing time.
How much does a garage door opener cost?
Just based on materials, the average garage door opener today costs between 300 and 400 dollars - while installation costs may add on a bit more of a price tag, due to the specialized labor involved.