September 28, 2018

6 Facts About Electric Garage Door Systems

Electric garage door opener - LiftMaster

Have you ever looked at your garage door opener and wondered how it works? Or have you ever wondered what makes a garage door safe for your family? The garage door system is one of those things that we use every day that often goes totally unnoticed. Every day, we go in and out, and we never even think about what goes into the operation of this system.

Here are six cool facts that will have you looking at your door opener, and your entire garage, differently the next time you go to use it. Maybe once you realize just how these systems work, you’ll be motivated to give them all just a little more attention and care.

Fact #1: There are different types of door openers.

Did you know that there are different types of garage door openers? In North America, most garage doors are opened by a central garage door opener, meaning there is a trolley that pulls the door, driven by a motor of various lifting capacities, installed on the ceiling in the “center” of the door.

But what if the ceiling doesn’t allow for that? If your garage has a peaked ceiling or there’s something that won’t allow for a garage door opener to be installed on the ceiling, there is another option. You can use an opener that is installed next to the door. These are called Jackshaft opener.

Fact #2: How the signal transmitted from the remote control operates the door

Now, how does the garage door opener work with the remote you carry with you? The opener is operated by a radio transmission (the remote you carry), which sends radio signals to the radio receiver built into the opener. The radio waves used to communicate between the two devices are on a precise frequency, 315, 315 or 390 MHz, which is picked up by the receiver in the motor housing. This radio signal causes the door to open or close.

If you have ever repeatedly pressed your remote, and found that nothing happened, it could be that the radio signal is being interrupted. It may not be a problem with the remote, but with the receiver, AKA the garage door opener. It could also simply be that the remote needs a new battery, or that the garage door opener has no power due to an outage.

Fact #3: Pirating of signals used to be a concern, but not today.

Have you ever heard the myth that a plane passing over a house can open the garage door? That is not true at all. The misunderstanding comes in the way people understand radio frequencies. Airplanes operate using extremely precise wavelengths that are overseen by the government, and these are not the same wavelengths as garage door openers use.

However, it used to be true that a garage door opener could be “hacked” or pirated. Any door opener manufactured before 1993, was made using technology that could be less than safe. The technology was based on DIP switches (put in +, 0 or – positions), and despite the fact that these remote controls have up to 8 positioning clips (in addition to +, 0, -), it was possible that a person could pick up the signal with a remote and use it to open your door. The chances are very slim, but it was possible.

These days, this is not a worry. Since 1993, the company Chamberlain, which includes the LiftMaster and Craftsman brands, has used their SECURITY+ system that allows up to 1 billion possible codes. What’s more, each time a code is used, it is changed for the following time.

Chamberlain made doors even safer in 2013, with the introduction of their MyQ system that allows you to open and close your garage door from your mobile phone, tablet or laptop. You can easily make sure the garage door is closed at any time.

And in August 2017, Chamberlain has added a Wi-Fi feature to some of its door openers. As you can see, it is becoming increasingly difficult to copy the open/close signal for your garage door opener.

MyQ Smartphone

Fact #4: There are different types of drives.

Most garage doors use a chain drive to open and close. This system uses a chain similar to one on a bicycle, or may also use a combination of a chain and a metal cable. Your garage door may also operate via a rubber belt that reinforced with steel, similar to a car tire. This type of garage door opener is very quiet. This is also a third type, called a screw drive, that is not very common.

Fact #5: There are safety features to counteract motor strengths.

Most AC garage door openers are either ½ or ¾ HP. (AC stands for alternating current). You may also have a direct current, or DC, garage door opener, which will have a varying speed as the garage door closes or opens.

The DC motor is much stronger than an AC motor, which is rated in horsepower. The strength of a DC motor, on the other hand is rated in Newtons.

A garage door opener is able to lift quite a lot of weight, up to 225 lb. (100 kg.). That means it can also push down with the same weight. That is why every garage door professional will insist on telling you that your garage door must always be well balanced. When the door is well balanced by a spring system, the dead weight of your door will be around 8 to 10 lb. (4 to 5 kg). At that weight, the door can be easily opened with one hand, and you don’t have to worry about a huge weight coming down when your door closes.

Fact #6: Reversal systems are life savers!

Every garage door in North America must be equipped two automatic reversal systems. This has been the law since 1993, and it is a lifesaving law. The first reversal system is mechanical: when the door is lowering, if the bottom of the door hits anything before it is closed, it will reverse and begin opening again.

The second system uses photo eyes. There are two small units that are attached to the wall on either side of the door, between 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) from the floor. Between them, an invisible beam of light exists. If anything breaks that beam of light by running through it as the door is closing, the door will automatically reverse direction.

Learn More from Garaga

We’d love to show you around our stock in the showroom any time you want to stop by, but you can also see many options in our online Design Centre. For more inspiration, view the myriads of examples in our image gallery.

Contact us any time you have questions about garage doors, toll free at 519-326-5888. We are garage door experts and can help you learn everything you need to know about replacing your door, repairing it, and more. We can advise you and explain the best choice to make in your situation while also respecting your budget. If you’d like, we can email you a quotation.

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