Customer wants a garage door opener for a big(~20′ wide) wood sectional door. Been a couple years since I put one in. The major companies seem to be Chamberlain and Genie. Last one I installed was a genie, still going strong. Figure a 3/4 hp which would mean a chain or screw mechanism rather than a belt. Any thoughts? Warnings. Simple. Just doing my homework.
Thanks
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You may want to check with garage door people about having it done, we have one in town that can do it cheaper than I can buy and install myself. As I recall Chamberlain brand names several which is good...parts, service readily available.
Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.
vote for Chamberlin and subing it out...
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Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
You don't need a 3/4 HP.
If it is properly adjusted then you can open and close it by hand. And unless you are trying to beat the 2.31 second record for opening the door you don't need a 3/4 hp.
For 25 years I have an 18 ft wooden door, often mis-adjusted, operated by a 1/3 hp Liftmaster.
The Liftmaster is the "pro" version of Chamberlain openers. The main difference is that they have a one piece rail rather the sectional rails on DIY versions.
Currently have Chamberlain belt drive on the same door.
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
One-piece rail. That's about all I know.
The writer of an FHB article a decade or two back mentioned that he'd seen 3-4 carpenters huddled around the instruction sheets too many times...
Sub it out.
AitchKay
1/2 hp will do you just fine on a balanced door
Chamberlain makes lift master, craftsman, and a few others.
What everyone says about a balanced door is true. I have two chamberlains- both 3/4 HP BELT drive. LOVE them- they are amazingly quiet. If quiet matters- go with belt drive. My mom has genie shaft drives and they are LOUD LOUD LOUD!!!My understanding is that shaft drive is loudest with chain a little quieter and belt the quietest. Of course that depends on how the door is adjusted too I guess. Got my chamberlains on sale at Lowes for <$200 per.
My understanding is that shaft drive is loudest with chain a little quieter and belt the quietest
Something wrong there! I have a Genie shaft drive (I installed it 3 years ago) . I can hardly hear it!!!! (And no... I'm not deaf!!)
It also opens at twice the speed as it closes.. Nice, when trying to escape the house!! QUIET and FAST
That's interesting. I've balanced mom's door and tuned the Genie opener per their specs using their lubes and everything. Her opener still growls like an angry grizzly. The quiet references came from my neighbor who installs doors for a living. He installed my doors for me on the side. He recommended belt drives for quietness.
Back about March I had our garage door changed over from extension springs to torsion spring. The door is now much, much quieter, so quiet that you can barely hear it opening from inside the house -- previously you had no problem hearing it. Same door, same rollers and tracks, same opener.
A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It's a weak nation, like a weak person, that must behave with bluster and boasting and rashness and other signs of insecurity. --Jimmy Carter
That might very well be the issue. Mom has extension springs, I have torsion. (Hence someone else installing my doors!)
I've had them all, and shaft (worm) drive is one I wouldn't have again. It worked well enough but it required more PM and was a bugger to dispose of when it finally failed. Never had a problem with chain drive, easy to maintain and I don't care about the noise -- my neighbors screaming at each other are louder, and they go on longer than the door opener. Concur with others who note that a properly balanced door doesn't need a really strong opener. With a twenty foot wooden door, don't ever try to keep it from falling if you don't first secure it with clamps before changing the springs. Unless you can jerk 300 pounds.
liftmaster
Buy a name brand -- Chamberlin, Genie, etc -- read the package to find out what weight door it can handle. (1/2 horse is probably enough unless the door is exceptionally heavy or poorly balanced.) Try for a single-piece arm, but don't obsess about it.
Noise is really only an issue if the garage is under a bedroom or such, so the type of drive isn't really that critical. And a well-balanced door is much quieter, even with an old, worn-out chain drive.
I just finished a house with 2 wall mount openers. There is hardly even any sound. They were a little pricey though.
Which operator did you use?How did the installation go?We are looking at a Liftmaster for just under $400 for a light commercial job with no head room.The only difference I've been warned about is to use a solid torsion bar.
I'll have to check on the brand but I think it was a wall mounted Liftmaster. I've never seen an opener this quite.