Many people use their garage door openers multiple times a day and often look to upgrade due to a need for better safety reasons or a need to update their technology features. Whatever the reasons, here’s what you need to know about your garage door opening system.
Parts of A Garage Door Opener System
Garage door opener remotes work with the other parts of the garage door opener system. These parts include:
- Drums
- Cables
- Tube
- Door arms
- Chains, belts, or screws
- Brackets and hinges
- Safety reversing sensor/photo eyes
- Torsion/Extension Springs
- Tracks and rollers
- Emergency cord
- Electric Motor and Gears
- Inverter and Battery
How Do Garage Door Openers Work?
Once the remote has been pressed, a signal is sent to a receiver that tells the motor to begin.
Garage doors are heavy, so this system needs help in the form of springs. Depending on your operating system, a chain, belt, or screw will provide enough motion to begin twisting or extending the torsion or extension springs.
These garage door springs act as a counterbalance absorbing the door’s weight. Cables placed alongside the springs work with the springs to open and close the door.
As the door raises, panels attached by hinges allow the door to bend as it rises above the opening. Rollers run along tracks on each side of the door, ensuring the door has a path to follow as it opens and closes.
Types of Drive Systems for Garage Door Openers
- Chain Drive –These openers use a trolley system with a chain connected to the garage door and move along a track to raise and lower the door. The high durability allows heavy doors to be easily lifted. However, they tend to be the noisiest option of the three.
- Belt Drive –The belt drive opener works the same as the chain drive system but moves along the track with a rubber belt. It is much quieter than other garage door openers.
- Screw Drive- A trolley rides on a threaded-steel rod as a motor rotates the rod, moving the carriage that lifts and lowers the garage door. Due to the lack of parts, it is easy to maintain.
Safety Features
Auto-reverse function- a built-in sensor detects the slightest resistance. If anything is detected under the door while it’s going down, it will stop and reverse direction upon contact.
Photo eye sensor– This function ensures that nothing is in the garage door’s path. It does this by shooting a beam from one side of the door to the other. If the beam is interrupted, the door can’t shut.
Emergency Cord- A rope with a red handle that dangles from the opener with a mechanical release that allows you to open your garage door manually should the power go out or if someone gets pinned under your garage door.
If you want to update, check out some of these extra features.
- Smart-device compatibility allows you to operate the opener from a mobile device.
- Vehicle compatibility allows the operation of the opener from controls built into some vehicles.
- Battery backup in the event of a power outage
Please, do not attempt to replace parts on your own; contact your local professionals, Doorman Services Inc, in the North Kent location for a quote.