A Buyers Guide to Automatic Garage
Door Openers
As
buying a garage door operator is a long term investment there are a number of
important points
that should be considered. The following notes explain the facts,
terminology & features :- |
What
Drive System ? - screw, chain or belt drive
Advances in chain drive technology have driven the noisy but
once popular screw-driven operator from popularity in the UK. Modern chain
driven operators are extremely
quiet and have the added ruggedness & strength advantage a chain offers
over units driven by a plastic belt as currently offered by some manufacturers. |
Power
consumption
Most modern door operators feature a fairly efficient low voltage DC motor but the amount of power consumed while the door is in motion is of little consequence
as the motor only runs for a about 15 seconds to operate the door, the important figure
here is how much energy the unit consumes during the remaining 99.9% of the
time while the unit is in standby ! Operators with low energy toroid type transformers offer
considerable savings in running costs due to the improved efficiency of toroidal
transformers. This can amount to a considerable saving over the lifetime of the
operator ! |
Motor power
Choose an operator capable of lifting in excess of the force required to move the
door so that the machine is not constantly working at the limits of its capabilities.
It is most important that the door is properly balanced. To check this open
the door half way by hand and let go, if it sinks the door is 'under
sprung' and requires attention. As a general rule a motor rated at around 45kgs
pulling force is adequate for doors up to 8' wide, while a unit capable of 60kgs or more
is recommended on larger doors. |
Soft start
& soft stop
This concept was originally developed to reduce stress on the door and drive mechanism by
gently accelerating the motor to full speed in a controlled manner to improve
reliability. Soft start & soft stop motors are therefore particularly beneficial on heavy
doors but do also offer the added luxury of very quiet & gentle closure, a feature of great
importance regardless of door size, on integral garages where the family sleep above. |
Safety
This is obviously of great importance, a garage door is a large
heavy object and you want the motor to stop immediately if the door is
obstructed. Recent changes in safety regulations require that door
operators which don't incorporate a self-learning safety protection system
be fitted with an additional 'break-beam' safety device or a pressure
sensitive safety sensor switch across the lower edge of the door, these
extra devices can involve considerable cost so choose an operator with an
effective self-learning safety stop system that can automatically learn and
memorize the precise operating characteristics of your door and stop the
motor immediately if an obstruction is detected, this will ensure the
highest possible level of safety for your family & pets whilst saving money
& installation time. |
Wall mounted push-button
If you have an integral garage with direct access to the house, a wall mounted
push-button is likely to get as much use as the remote control. Its worth checking that a
good quality push-button is included, an internal wall control switch is
regarded by many manufacturers as an optional accessory at extra cost. |
External emergency release
If your garage has no alternative pedestrian access door an emergency release
device will be required to allow manual operation of the door in case of power
failure. Most garage door operators require an additional
lock to be purchased separately & fitted into the door to enable it to be opened manually from outside, these
additional locks are unsightly, very fiddly to use and can result in reduced
security. A well designed electric operator will have a cable operated
manual release system which can be connected to the
door's original locking handle to provide 'simple to use' manual
operation in the event of a power failure. |
Security
Access is by coded radio control signal but operators with an anti-scan 'rolling code' remote control
systems offer the ultimate in security by eliminating 'code grabbing' (copying and duplicating the security code)
An electric garage door operators hold will the door securely shut at the top
when closed but if security is an important issue a device such as our patented
'Securi-Dor'
automatic locking system can be fitted to automatically engage the door's original
manual side latches after the door has closed to provide secure multi-point locking. |
Maintenance
Look for a totally maintenance free operator, units with self adjusting drive
tensioner's can eliminate the need for costly service calls. |
Guarantee
Remote controlled operator guarantee's range from 1 - 5 years. As a general
rule the longer the guarantee the more confidence the manufacturer has in their product. |
Availability of spare parts
You'll rely on the product for many years so make sure you choose a manufacturer that
will continue to provide a full range of spare parts long after the product has
ceased production such as
Seip Antriebs Technik. Sadly most other
manufacturers will leave you with no alternative than to scrap and replace the entire machine if a
minor component fails
outside the warrantee period. |
Outlay
You want your garage door opener to give years of trouble-free service but this
largely depends on the build quality and design of the product. Having
specialised in garage door automation over twenty years Amourelle have found
one operator manufacturer to be the clear leader in terms of outstanding
quality, design and refinement - at a below average price ! - this
being German manufacturer
Seip Antriebs Technik |
|
Don't just take our word for it ! -
Read what ours customers say ! |
I placed
an order for a Seip TS75 around 12.00 noon & received confirmation
about an hour later. It arrived the following morning, and was mostly
fitted by the afternoon. Fitting completed the next day, and it has
now been working perfectly for five days. I am very impressed with
it's robust construction and efficiency. I am so pleased I found
Amourelle on the web, and was able to replace my old inefficient
operator so quickly. A very good service!
Ernie Ford, New Romney, Kent. |
|
I have
just finished installing a Seip TS75 garage door operator to my
Hormann double door this very morning. I did the whole job myself in a
couple of evenings including the installation of the Securi-Dor AP2000
automatic security locking device. (with Nick's help in 2 or 3 phone
calls) Amourelle provide a first class service with great attention to
detail. Well done !
Nick Rosenberg, Bexhill-on-Sea, E. Sussex |
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