How Much Garage Door Opener Do I Need

Single garage door openers generally do fine with smaller openers while double doors may need a little more horsepower.

How much garage door opener do i need.

Do you have to give up your dreams of a new garage door or opener. Measure the width and height of your garage door with a tape measure so you know what you have. The average garage door is around 8 x10 in size. It is the second cheapest of the three with medium power.

The rough opening of your space which should be approximately the same size as the door. Horsepower is really just a starting point for garage door openers. One car garages with steel doors only need a 1 2 horsepower garage door opener. A motor drives a trolley or carriage along a rail.

12 inches for the door and torsion spring system and three inches for the garage door opener equipment. Garage door openers are designed to replace the human force to open and close a garage door and if your garage door is properly balanced then it should only be lifting 8 10 pounds. Standard garage door openers have a similar design. The main difference between garage door opener models is how the motor moves the trolley.

Doors larger than this are considered double car garage doors. Our professional garage door installers will take the measurements needed to properly size your new door. A horsepower opener isn t suitable for a heavy double door but there are two other sizes to choose from that would be more suitable. These and oversized doors over 14 feet in width require a 3 4 hp opener in order for the component to function long term.

These doors don t need too much power to open so you can buy a garage door opener that s around 1 3 horsepower as this will be more than enough to lift it. What if you don t have 12 15 inches of space to work with. While it s the most expensive option it s also long lasting and durable with the maximum amount of power. Certain garage doors like those made out of wood can be extremely heavy.

Oversized large and heavy doors will need an opener with horsepower ex. For a standard garage door with an electric opener you ll want a minimum of 15 inches of overhead clearance. Most garage door openers come in a range of 1 3 horsepower to 1 horsepower. Two car garages or one car garages with insulated or wooden doors need at least a 3 4 horsepower garage door opener.

This is recommended by most due to the fact that it will last the longest and provide the best long term outcome. Garages with carriage doors should opt for 1 hp garage door openers or higher. Doors that are 10 feet wide by 8 feet tall are single car garage doors. The trolley is connected to the garage door and as the trolley moves it pulls the door open or pushes it closed.

3 4 hp garage door opener. Liftmaster does have weight ratings for their garage doors that we can use as a guideline. 1 the width across the existing door or desired space.