How do garage door openers work?
Your home may have already come with a garage door opener when you moved in, and it’s likely that you haven’t given much thought to this area of your home. While you press a button to open up your garage multiple times per day, have you ever stopped to wonder how these garage door openers actually work? It’s nice to have an understanding of how your door is moved up and down automatically for you. If something malfunctions, you will have a general idea of what type of repair or service needs to be performed to get everything working again.
Let’s talk a bit about garage door openers and the basics of how they function.
Different Types of Garage Door Openers
It’s likely that you have one of four different openers in your home. They all work differently, but they each come with their own pros and cons. If you’re choosing a new system, you’ll want to learn about all four of the following garage door openers so you can make an educated decision about what to invest in.
Belt Driven Garage Door Opener
This is a quiet opener that uses a trolley with a rubber belt to move the door open and closed. A lot less of the parts are made of metal, which cuts back on the noise and vibrations. They may cost a little bit more, but a lot of people feel a belt driven opener is worth it. This is especially true if you garage is situated directly below a quiet area of your home, like a bedroom.
Chain Garage Door Openers
If you’re looking to save money and don’t care much about the noise level of your opener, a chain opener is optimal. A trolley moves along a metal chain to move the door up and down. They’re beneficial if you have a detached garage where noise isn’t a concern.
Screw Driven Garage Door Openers
Very similar to the belt driven opener, the screw variety has a trolley which slides along a rotating steel rod. They’re incredibly quiet, relatively affordable and reduce the amount of vibrations that occur.
Direct Drive Openers
A direct drive garage door opener is a bit more modern than the other varieties. They have a very simple design where the trolley is forced along the track by the engine alone. This is a quiet process that has minimal maintenance needs.
How Does a Garage Door Opener Work?
Once you have a garage door opener hooked up to your door, you will need the remote or pass code in order to open it. A remote functions as a transmitter, and you normally keep this remote inside of your vehicle for when you pull up to your home. Many systems also come with a key pad that is installed on the frame of your garage. You have to leave your car to enter the code and open the door.
When the door is shut, no motion will be able to take place as the engine will lock the door into its position. Once you press the remote or the code, the motor of your garage door opener will engage. The spring system on the door will counterbalance itself, and the door will begin to open from the floor up. Garage door systems have multiple springs that are part of this system to help the door slide open and closed efficiently and safely.
Smart Technology
Recent developments in technology have allowed garage door openers to become more convenient than ever to use. Many units come with smart technology already installed in them. You can also purchase separate units to install on your existing garage door opener. This smart technology allows you to control your opener from your phone or tablet. Not only can you open and close your door this way, but it’s nice to be able to check your garage door while you’re away. You can see if you remembered to close it, but you can also check to see if anyone has gained access to your garage while you’ve been gone.
If you notice that your garage door opener isn’t functioning how it should be, it’s important to have a professional in the Richmond area diagnose whatever may be going on. A minor repair now can prevent a major repair later on. Not to mention, you don’t want to find yourself faced with not being able to gain access to your garage because of a broken garage door opener.
