A garage door opener is a motorised device that opens and closes garage doors. Most of these devices are operated by switches on the garage wall and also by remote controls carried by the owner or installed on a car. An opener can also be operated through a smart phone or with a central control unit in a smart home. These devices have become very popular in the UK and it is now a standard component of any garage door installation. Contrary to popular belief, these devices do not do the actual opening or lifting of a garage door but provide a minimal force in controlling how far the garage door will open and close. In many cases, these openers also holds the garage door closed with a lock installation.
A typical opener consists of a power unit that contains the electric motor. The power unit is attached to a track that has a trolley with an arm that opens and closes the garage door via a backward and forward movement. The trolley is pulled along the track by a belt, chain or screw that turns when the motor is operated. A quick release mechanism is attached to the trolley to disconnect the opener for manual operation during an emergency, repair and maintenance or when there is a power blackout. These openers normally have a limit switch that controls how far a garage door can open or close once the motor receives a signal from a remote control device or a wall push button.
There are different type of garage door opener available in the UK market. These include:
– Sectional openers.
– Retractable openers.
– Canopy openers.
There are different kinds of garage doors and each type has the most practical and efficient opener. It is important to match a garage door with the right opener. Some of the factors that influence the type of opener to install with a garage door include:
– Weather. Areas in the UK that are prone to severe weather conditions require a garage door with an opener that will comfortably handle the severity of these weather conditions.
– Type of garage door. Sectional or two door garage doors will require a sectional opener.
– Garage size. The size of a garage and the space available to open and close the garage door will determine what garage door to install and subsequently the opener to use.
– Budget. These openers cost from 200 pounds to above a thousand pounds.
A garage door and all its components including an opener must be periodically repaired and maintained by a professional garage door technician. Garage doors are heavy objects and some are operated are operated by torsion springs that are under immense pressure. It is highly recommended that one should not attempt to repair a garage door unless they have the right tools and the expertise to handle the repair work.
Opening devices for garage doors are some of the gadgets that make a home a smart home. A smart home is one that has all or most of the features and functions automated. A garage door that is equipped with an automatic opener is convenient to use and operate.