Garage door openers are complicated pieces of machinery that come in a wide variety of settings, sizes, speeds, and power levels. Garage door opener horsepower is one of the most integral factors that need to be considered when purchasing a garage door opener that will last a quality length of time and perform adequately. In this blog entry, the garage door opener repair experts here at Mazal Garage Door & Gates will provide detail as to the different types of garage door opener horsepower and how it affects one’s choice for the best garage door opener for their unique needs.
Types of Garage Door Opener Horsepower
- ⅓ Horsepower - This is ideal for lightweight steel garage doors meant for single cars. It can lift doors with evenly distributed weight, but aren’t built to last an extremely long time, and will require periodic replacement.
- ½ Horsepower - This garage door opener is the most commonly used with single and double garage doors ranging between 8 and 12 feet. This opener works with doors made from many materials which include composite materials as well as steel and aluminium.
- ¾ Horsepower - These are ideal openers for large and heavy doors, like solid wood doors - and these garage door openers last the longest of any type of garage door opener.
Choosing The Best Garage Door Opener for your Needs
When you’re analyzing the best garage door opener for your unique needs, make sure to consider the full range of electrical motor and horsepower types available, paying attention to:
- The garage door’s weight and size, whether it’s covering a single or double opening, and what material the door is constructed with.
- The longevity of the garage door opener - keep in mind that cheaper garage door openers with lower horsepower will require more periodic replacement than openers with broader / more appropriate horsepower for the door.
- Consider the fact that if you install a garage door opener with inadequate horsepower for your door size/weight, that it will place much strain on other mechanical components of the garage functionality like it’s cables, tracks, and springs. This can lead to rapidly accelerating wear, and the potential cost of replacement.