Houses or buildings usually require garages to park their cars, bikes, trucks and other vehicles. In order to keep these vehicles safe when they are not in use, the garages are meant to have a door. However, you cannot keep opening these doors manually every time you want to park or drive out the vehicle and thus, garage door openers were invented in the 1920s. The first electric garage door opener was created in 1926 by C.G. Johnson, which was also known as the overhead garage door opener.
With these openers, there was no requirement for individuals to lift up the heavy garage door manually, as it was done by an electric motor. The exact definition of the garage door opener is, a motorized engine which helps open and close the garage door mechanically. This opener can be controlled by a switch on the garage wall or a remote control that can be operated from a distance. However, there are many garage door opener types, which can make this job convenient. These are mentioned in the paragraphs below.
Types of Garage Door Openers
Today, every homeowner feels the need to have a garage door opener for the simple reason of convenience. Keeping this in mind, there are various types of garage door opener which are available in the markets to make the garage door function easily. However, all these types have their own advantages and disadvantages, thus you have to be very careful with respect to what type of opener you choose for your garage door. To make this job easier for you, we have mentioned these types in the coming up paragraphs. Read on and make your choice depending on what unit would be the best for your garage design and budget. Take a look.
Opener #1: Chain Drive Type
Known to be one of the most commonly used and cheapest types of garage door openers, the chain drive is a very easy to install device. It is basically nothing but a metal chain that is connected to the motor of the garage door opener, and can be activated through a switch or a remote control. The device uses a "shaft and sprocket" chain which lifts up the garage door when the main switch is turned on. However, this is the noisiest type and was the first garage door opener made by C.G. Johnson. The chain drive opener switch is usually installed on the garage walls, both inside and outside the garage for better access. According to the garage door opener reviews, the brands Craftsman and Chamberlain are one of the best manufacturers of this type of door opener. As on date, the device is sold at a price as low as $119 on sale.
Opener #2: Belt Drive Type
The belt drive garage door opener is very similar to the chain drive type, with a few differences in the mechanism. This unit is less noisy than the chain drive, and can be installed in homes which have a garage next to or below the house. The belt drive opener is stronger, more durable and quieter than the chain drive, thus is preferred by many people, even though it is more expensive than the chain drive. The unit consists of a rubber belt, that is smooth running unlike the steel chain, which is why the noise is minimized in this type of garage door opener. However, like the chain drives, Chamberlain is one of the most successful manufacturers of belt drive garage openers. As on date, these openers cost about $270, but could come with a warranty of 10 years or lifetime!
Opener #3: Screw Drive Type
The next one is the screw drive opener, which was founded by a certain manufacturer, Genie. It is an automatic garage door opener, which is operated by a motor that is also called "direct drive". The door is lifted with the help of a threaded steel rod which moves when the motor is switched on. There are no chains or belts installed in this screw drive garage door opener, therefore, there is no noise at all. The opener also has more speed than the earlier two types and therefore, is known to be more efficient than them. Another reason, why these are more popular today, is because they don't cost more than a chain drive opener. As on date, you would get a unit of screw drive opener for about $170 onwards with a 15 years warranty.
With these garage door opener types, hope you have found the one which is more convenient and affordable. All these openers can be controlled by remotes or manual switches on the wall. So, protect your garage with these useful door openers.
