Garage Door Opener Horsepower
by Peter
(Dallas, TX)
QUESTION:I have a 2 car garage and I want to install a new garage door opener. How much horsepower should a garage door opener have for my door?
ANSWER:Good question. Actually, garage door opener horsepower is not the most important factor.
Balancing the garage door is.
Technically, if you have a properly balanced garage door, a 1/3 HP opener will do just fine. How is that possible? When you open your garage door, with or without a garage door opener, the bulk of the work is actually done by the counterbalance, a system of springs, pulleys, cables, etc., that make it possible for your garage door to open and close easily.
The two most common counterbalance systems use 1 or 2 torsion springs attached to a torsion bar above the door or 2 extension springs that run alongside the door tracks. The springs provide the lifting power. If you have ever had a broken
garage door torsion spring, for example, you know how hard it is to lift a garage door on your own.
Having said that, reality tells us most people don't spend enough time maintaining their stuff. Over time garage doors naturally become unbalanced and harder to open. Consequently, a 1/3 HP motor may not always be powerful enough for your door. That's why manufacturers started promoting garage door horsepower, making models with up to 1 HP and touting their ability to open even the heaviest solid
wooden garage doors and custom carriage house doors.
Enough background. How much garage door opener horsepower is enough? Personally, I would steer away from 1/3 HP models unless you have a lightweight, 1 car garage door. Modern, high quality 1/2 HP models are suitable for most 1 and 2 car garage doors. They are also the most common and the most popular.
One of the best garage door opener models on the market is the
Chamberlain WD822KD. This popular and highly rated
belt drive garage door opener is affordable and comes with a nice set of included options. It also fits in the
quiet garage door opener category and is suitable for garages with living space above or adjacent to the garage.
If you do have a very heavy or large garage door and there is even a small chance you won't be keeping it well balanced, consider a 3/4 HP or even a 1 HP model. More powerful models may even open your door a little faster, depending on the model. Good 3/4 HP choices include the
Craftsman 53918 (belt drive) and the
Chamberlain PD752D (chain drive).
One more thing. If you have a tall garage door, like a 10, 12 or even 14 tall RV garage door, your model choices become very limited regardless of power. Many models can be adapted to 8, 10 or 12 foot tall doors using extension rail kits, but very tall 14 foot tall doors require specialty openers like the
Marantec RV8000, the
Liftmaster 3595 or the
Liftmaster 3800 jackshaft garage door opener, which mounts on the front wall like a commercial opener.
Garage Door Horsepower Bottom Line:
- Balance your garage door and take care of periodic maintenance.
- For most garage doors, a good quality, highly rated 1/2 HP model is adequate.
- For very heavy or tall garage doors, look at a 3/4 HP or even a 1 HP model. The price difference is usually only $50 to $100, depending on the brand.
