This is a very important measurement that determines if you will need an extension kit when purchasing your diy operator.
How to determine hp for garage door opener.
An opener with at least 1 2 horsepower is common for residential use.
Garage door openers are designed to replace the human force to open and close a garage door and if your garage door is properly balanced then it should only be lifting 8 10 pounds.
A minimum of 3 5 to 4 5 is required on either side of the door opening.
However choosing the right opener can be confusing.
Look for an opener that has the horsepower necessary for your garage door size based on size and weight.
This is the area available immediately adjacent to the door opening.
Each manufacturer makes its own replacement remotes and universal remotes are also available.
Extra garage door opener remotes come in handy.
This size opener is the most popular out of the three and is recommended for single or double garage doors with average weight ex.
Doors between eight and 12 feet in width are no problem.
Garage door openers typically range from 1 3 to over 1 horsepower.
The most popular out of the three choices this opener works best with single and double garage doors that have an average weight such as a carriage style door.
If you have a sectional double car garage door a 1 2 horsepower motor should be sufficient but a higher power model will operate with less effort and less.
Belt drive garage door openers are similar in design to chain drive but instead of a hard metal chain the motor drives the carriage using a toothed belt.
Again this opener will only be efficient when the door is properly balanced and an opener with more horsepower will last longer.
Use of the belt alone would make the belt drive opener quieter than a chain drive but additionally belt drive garage door openers typically employ dc powered motors as opposed to the ac motors used by chain drive openers.
Many people believe more horsepower is better and in a majority of cases that is true but not always.
It is the cheapest of the three and least power.
The main consideration for a garage door opener is the drive type which refers to the actual chain belt or other mechanism that moves and lifts the door.
In some circumstances the horsepower output of the motor should be considered as well but typically in commercial or industrial settings.
The height of the garage door opening is the distance from the floor to the top of the garage door opening.