Choosing a New Opener?

Precision Tech Working on a Garage Door Opener

Choose the Best Garage Door Opener for Your Home

Is it time to replace your garage door opener? Whether your current one is reaching the end of its lifespan or you’re ready to upgrade to a model with smarter, more modern features, we’re here to help you find the best opener for your home!

You won’t believe what you don’t hear!

Our PDS 370 model garage door openers are whisper quiet. They use higher quality components and belt drives to increase performance while keeping the sound they create to a minimum.

Which Drive Type is Right for Your Door?

When choosing a new garage door opener, you’ll first want to know the differences in drive types. Each drive type has perks that make it a better fit for certain garage doors, so you’ll want to consider features like power, affordability, noise level, and more when picking your new opener.

Belt Drive
Quiet and Reliable

Belt drive openers have a trolley guided by a fiberglass, polyurethane, or steel-reinforced rubber belt, which opens or closes the door.

They’re popular for their reliability and quiet operation, which is ideal for attached garages whose noise may affect the rest of the house. Our PDS 370 openers use belt drive openers.

Screw Drive
Fast and Low-Maintenance

Screw drive openers have the fewest moving pieces. A trolley is moved by a threaded steel rod that rotates with the motor, providing speedy and reliable operation.

They’ve also been sone of the loudest openers, but recent innovations have improved the noise level.

Chain Drive
Affordable and Widely Available

Chain drive openers work similarly to belt drive openers, except they use a chain to push and pull the trolley while the garage door opens and closes.

While they tend to be a bit noisier than belt drive openers, they’re also more affordable.

Direct Drive
Quiet and Dependable

Direct drive openers rely solely on the motor to raise and lower the door by moving along a stationary chain.

These openers are one of the most quiet and dependable options because they only have one moving part.

Jackshaft Opener
Durable and Best for High Ceilings

Jackshaft openers mount on the side of your garage door as opposed to above it, so they’re a great fit for doors where clearance is an issue.

They’re very durable and quiet, but tend to be pricier than the other openers.

Are you ready for us to install your new opener? Call us 24/7 at 704-837-2282 or Schedule an Appointment!

How Much Horsepower Does Your Garage Door Require?

The horsepower your garage door requires is determined by two factors: first, whether you want a long-lasting opener or one that’s more affordable, and second, the size and weight of your garage door.

When it comes to price, you’ll find that:

  • Lower-horsepower garage door openers are cheaper, but you’ll need to replace them more often
  • The heavier your garage door is, the more horsepower you’ll need to lift the weight evenly and safely

You have three horsepower options to choose from, but keep in mind that your garage door’s proper alignment and balance are necessary for all of them to work their best.

1/3 Horsepower

1/3 horsepower garage door openers are a great fit for small, single, lightweight garage doors. They also tend to be the most affordable option.

On the other hand, they’re also the least powerful and often have shorter lifespans, especially when they’re used to move heavier doors.

1/2 Horsepower

1/2 horsepower openers are a great combination of affordability and power. They’re the most common option, and best for doors between 8 and 14 feet wide.

However, they’re also pricier than 1/3 horsepower openers, and may not be an ideal fit for doors that are either very heavy or light.

3/4 Horsepower

3/4 horsepower openers are the best choice for large, heavy garage doors. They’re the most powerful openers with the longest lifespan.

They’re also the most expensive, so if your door is smaller and doesn’t need as much power to open, you may want to select a lower-horsepower option.

Which Type of Motor Do You Need?

Unlike choosing a drive type, your motor choice is pretty straightforward. There are only two options: AC-powered or DC-powered.

You probably won’t even see AC-powered motors listed as an option when choosing your new opener. While they’re pretty common in older models, they’re cumbersome, difficult to maintain, noisy, and often harder on your power bill.

The current industry standard is DC-powered motors. They’re far smaller, lighter, quicker, and more energy-efficient than their AC counterparts. They come with the most up-to-date safety and security features, as well as smart opening technology.

At Precision, our PDS 370 openers use DC-powered motors.

Let's get started on your project!

We’re ready to help you with all of your garage door needs.

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