What are your thoughts about the choice for the Department of Education, Betsy DeVos? The Doomsday Clock advances - what worries you the most? What are the next steps after the women's march? Do you support President Trump and his decision to continue with the Dakota Access Pipeline? Is there anything you'd like featured on the PostItForward tumblr?Basement & Garage > Garage Door Openers 101 For decades, homeowners interested in automating their garage doors had three choices: chain-, belt- or screw-driven openers. That has changed with the introduction of residential jackshaft and direct-drive models. Some of the conventional wisdom about the three standard options has changed, too. Standard Garage Door Openers Chain-driven models include a chain—similar to a bicycle chain—that pushes or pulls a trolley (carriage) that connects to a metal bar, called a J-arm, that is affixed to the garage door. If your garage is situated under a bedroom, the noise generated by metal-to-metal contact and vibration may be a nuisance.

If the garage is detached, it probably isn’t. Newer chain-driven units with DC motors and soft start-and-stop technology are significantly quieter than older units. Belt-driven openers are similar in design to chain-driven models, except a reinforced belt is what pushes or pulls the trolley. The belts may be made of fiberglass, polyurethane, or steel-reinforced rubber. Belt-driven openers are just as reliable as chain-driven openers but quieter. The negative for belt-driven openers is that they cost about $30 to $60 more than chain-driven units. Related: Product Showcase: Garage Doors With screw-driven openers, the trolley rides on a threaded-steel rod as a motor rotates the rod. Because this design has fewer moving parts, manufacturers claim that it requires less maintenance than other systems. Screw-driven openers, however, have run into trouble in regions that have large swings in temperature from summer to winter. In addition, they are noisier than belt-driven openers.

That said, manufacturers of screw-driven openers have recently made improvements with regard to temperature sensitivity and noise. In addition, screw-driven openers are among speediest these days as well, opening a door at 10- to 12-in. per second compared to the standard 6- to 8-in. per second. custom front door with sidelights(For safety, all garage door openers close doors at a slower 7-in. per second.)garage door spare parts melbourne Jackshaft and Direct-Drive Garage Door Openersgarage door fitters east sussex Jackshaft openers, unlike the other systems, mount on the wall beside the garage door. double glazed doors leeds

A 24-v DC motor drives pulleys and cables that turn the torsion bar and raise the garage door. When the motor is reversed, cable tension is loosened and the door lowers. This system is reliable and quiet. In addition, it keeps the ceiling free for overhead storage and is well-suited to garages with high or low ceilings. 1975 ford ltd 4 door for saleJackshaft openers are more expensive than most other types of openers.buy a prehung door Direct-drive units are claimed to be the quietest of all garage door units, because there is only one moving part—the motor. garage door opener repair livingston njDeveloped and manufactured in Germany, the motor (not a trolley) travels along a stationary chain that is embedded in an overhead rail.

A J-arm links the moving motor to the door. Direct-drive units cost about the same as belt-driven units and come with lifetime warranties. DC-Powered Garage Door Openers DC motors are quieter, faster, smaller, lighter, smoother operating, and more efficient than AC motors. Many come with variable speeds, enabling soft-start and soft-stop technology. They can also be equipped with battery backup systems. With newer units, the battery is integrated with the opener motor housing. When the power fails, your garage door openers will continue to function for up to two days, depending upon how often you open and close the door. Battery backup will also ensure the continued operation of other functions, including garage lighting, security, and safety alerts. DC motors with brushes do not have the same life expectancy as AC motors, but brushless DC motors do. For more on garages, consider: Picking the Right Garage Door Quick Tip: Garage Storage Solutions Video: Dream Garage and Boat Storage

We are getting new renters in a property that we own and so I recently needed to reset the code on the garage door opener. For many of you, this is a no-brainer – but for me – it takes all my brain. After I researched how to do it – changing the code is really quite easy. Follow these steps and you’ll have ‘er changed in no time. Most garage door openers work in the following manner. If yours looks a lot different, I would recommend you consult your manual or check the back of your garage door opener. There should be directions there. Our garage door opener has a keypad and a remote. Having both makes things convenient if we happen to leave the house and forget the remote or your keys. First things first – make sure your batteries are working in both the remote and the keypad. Most keypads will take a 9V battery, while the remote will take a small round battery labeled 2032 (of course, yours may be different). Next, check out the back of the opener that is attached to the ceiling of your garage.

You’ll likely see something similar to figure 2. You’ll want to check for the “learn button” or something that looks like a button. These are typically blue or red. When you find it, hold it down for about 6 seconds to reset the opener. Typically, a light next to the button will go out OR your lights attached to the opener will start to flicker. Everything should be reset and none of your remotes or keypad should be working at this point. Now to set the code – hit the “learn button” again so that the little light next to it lights up. You’ll have about 30 seconds or so to enter a new code on your keypad. Make sure it’s something you won’t forget! When you enter the new code, the light attached to the garage door opener will go on and off. The code is now set. Next, you’ll want to make sure your remote is synced up to the new code. All you need to do now is to hold up your remote to the back of the garage door opener, and press down (and hold) on your remote and then press the “learn button”.