Today, there are many different types of garage door openers available. Generally, there are three main types for homeowners interested in automating their garage doors to choose from; chain drive, screw, and belt drive. So, should your new door have a screw, chain, or belt drive?
Your choice will determine how quiet your opener will be, how long you may expect it to last, and how much it costs. Feel free to get in contact with Ridgeline Overhead Garage Door if you have any questions. Here we will look at the differences between screw-drive, chain, and belt garage door opener and the advantages of every type to help you make an informed decision.
Chain Drive Garage Door Openers
Chain drives are the oldest type of garage door openers and were the standard garage door before the emergence of belt and screw mechanisms. Even today, it remains the most popular type of drive mechanism for garage doors. They are relatively cheap and are very durable under normal conditions. Chain drive openers use a chain similar to the one found on a bicycle and push the trolley connected to the J-arm connected to the garage door that pushes or pulls the door in the track. Although they have a shortcoming of needing to be adjusted, the adjustment only requires to be done once or twice during the lifetime of a chain drive opener. Most chain drive garage doors are relatively easy to adjust and only take ten minutes.
Advantages
In terms of an economical option, the chain drive is a reliable and cheapest option. They are also safe because there is no danger it will slip in the process. However, if your garage door is connected to your house, the chain drive garage door can be very loud, which is an advantage or disadvantage depending on how you take it. Chain drive openers are noisy and better for isolated garages away from the house. Though noisier, chain drive openers offer you a much affordable option compared to belt drives. With time, chain drive units are becoming quieter than the older units with newer technologies such as DC motors and softer start and stop features.
Belt Drive Garage Door Openers
Belt chain openers are significantly similar to chain drive garage door openers, with only one significant difference. They use a belt as a substitute for a chain. Their operation is identical, but they use a door opener made from steel-reinforced rubber, polyurethane belt, or fiberglass. The use of the belt massively eliminates the noises and vibrations linked with chain drive openers. However, if you open a heftier garage door, chain drive door openers are a better option. While a belt drive might struggle to lift more than one garage door, a chain drive will easily lift two cars with no issues.
Advantages
If noise is one of the factors you are considering when choosing the right type of garage door opener, a belt drive is the best option. They are the quietest openers by far compared to screw and chain drive openers. The belt drive garage opener has a smooth operation which gives it a faster process. While most garage door openers lift a garage door at the rate of about 7 inches per second, the belt drive is a bit faster if this makes a difference for you. In terms of pricing, the belt drive is relatively affordable but tends to be slightly more costly than chain drive openers.
Screw Drive Garage Door Openers
Screw drive openers have a different operation than chain drive or belt drive garage door openers. The garage door opener used a trolley and threaded rod made of steel to rotate the garage door motor. The pulling and pushing forces are very different from the belt and chain drive openers.
Advantages
Screw drive openers feature moving tools. This makes them easier to maintain because there is reduced wear and tear. They do not need the same type of pulling and pushing force as traditional chain and belt-driven garage door openers. More so, they are quieter than chain-drive door openers but noisier than belt-driven garage door openers. They don’t need regular adjustments as with the chain-drive garage door openers. Due to the few moving pieces and slight play, the screw drive garage door goes up and down very smoothly. This makes screw-driven openers one of the quickest garage door openers at 10 to 12 inches per second compared to the standard 6 to 8 inches per second.
However, it’s no surprise that screw-drive garage door openers tend to be more expensive than chain-drive or belt-drive openers for their unique and efficient unit. It is recommendable to avoid using screw-drive openers in places with high-temperature fluctuations from winter to summer because the units are temperature sensitive, which might influence their functionality. That said, screw-drive manufacturers are recently making improvements regarding temperature sensitivity and noise.
Conclusion
We hope you now understand the concept and differences between chain, bet, and screw-drive garage door openers. But generally, you can’t go wrong with any of these garage door openers. It all comes down to your budget and preference. If you need any additional information please feel free to contact or stop by at Ridgeline Overhead Garage Door where we will be happy to help.