How Do I Size A Garage Door Opener

For this post we ll talk specifically about residential garage door openers.

How do i size a garage door opener.

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. Find the right garage door opener. This is a very important measurement that determines if you will need an extension kit when purchasing your diy operator. A minimum of 3 5 to 4 5 is required on either side of the door opening.

What size is your door. Garage door openers typically range from 1 3 to over 1 horsepower. Doors between eight and 12 feet in width are no problem. The advantages of a dc motor include smaller size quieter operation and softer starts and stops.

This is the area available immediately adjacent to the door opening. Garage door openers have motors that run on either alternating current ac or direct current dc. The height of the garage door opening is the distance from the floor to the top of the garage door opening. Most garage door openers come in a range of 1 3 horsepower to 1 horsepower.

However most of us have single or two car garages in which case the products we will be reviewing of you will work just fine. When it comes to garage door openers you ll find that the power they have to open the door is measured in horsepower. If you have a traditional steel door that is one sided non insulated and without windows it could weigh as little as 150lbs even if it s 16 feet wide and 7 feet high much less if it s smaller. The horsepower needed for your garage door opener is dependent on whether or not you want a long lasting opener verses replacing it every few cycles or the size of the door.

The average garage door is around 8 x10 in size. This question really has many variables. Look for an opener that has the horsepower necessary for your garage door size based on size and weight. An opener with at least 1 2 horsepower is common for residential use.

Garage door openers and horsepower. Both plug into a standard home power outlet but dc powered openers convert ac to dc power. Which opener is right for me. For example if you would like to lift a double garage door one might suggest using a 1 2 horsepower because the door is heavier and larger.

You also want to get a garage door opener that suits the size of your garage.