If you have vehicles at home, then you would be well aware of garages and door openers. Garages come in various shapes and sizes and are mostly made to suit your space constrictions. On the other hand, the garage door openers are the object that makes your car parking a smooth and seamless activity.
They allow you to increase your garage doors’ durability by employing sturdier doors made of more robust materials. Earlier, this wasn’t possible as strong materials are generally heavy. However, with a motorized one, the work of opening the door falls on the motor. Additionally, having the doors remotely controllable makes it a lot more convenient for use.
But you can’t just strap a motor and allow it to work. You need to know the energy requirements and other factors that go into it as well. Many people have questions regarding the most important factors to consider when buying a door opener. Let us look at some of the top facts regarding the garage door opener.
What is the horsepower rating?
It is probably the most crucial factor that affects the sale of any garage door. Horsepower refers to the amount of power that the motor can give to the garage door. Statistically, more horsepower results in easier lifting of the door. Here are the most popular horsepower capacities for residential garage door systems:
· 1/3 HP: This horsepower option is best suited for lightweight steel garage doors for a single car garage. While it can lift any type of door with evenly distributed weight, it will require regular and frequent replacement.
· 1/2 HP: A 1/2-horsepower garage door opener is the most popular capacity for single and double garage doors between eight and 12 feet wide. This opener horsepower can manage many types of door materials, including aluminum, steel and composites.
· 3/4 HP: For larger and heavier doors — like those crafted from wood - a 3/4 horsepower opener is the best option for maintaining long-term functionality.
Does the material of the door have any effect on the rating?
It does. We know that wood is lighter than steel which is lighter than iron. Naturally, pushing an iron door would require greater energy, and hence, that would result in greater use of horsepower. So, a larger horsepower rating would be ideal for heavier doors. Lighter alternatives such as wooden and composite can work with much lesser energy, although they will sometimes have lesser durability.
How important is the torsion spring?
The torsion spring keeps the whole door together. It allows the door and the motor to work together as a team and lift the door up. A well-calibrated spring can lift a heavier door than a carelessly calibrated one. In short, the better the build and calibration of the spring, the better its capabilities of raising the door.
Are extra features important?
The answer to this question depends on many factors. Simply put, it is quite essential to keep in mind that the features such as remote control and phone pairing, while nice to have, are a drain on your motor’s resources. If you have a heavy-duty energy source and the means of buying such features, there is no reason to avoid it. It certainly makes the whole hassle of parking a car much more manageable. However, if you are hurting for money or simply do not know any better, it would be in your best interest to go for a door with a lower rating that does not contain any extra features.
In conclusion
While looking for a food garage door, keep in mind your budget, the build quality, material, and motor rating. And if you have any questions you can feel free to reach out to your Garage Door team here at Door Depot of SW Florida at (941) 412-1883.