Quiet Operation Matters: Choosing A Silent Garage Door Opener
If you want a silent garage door, there are a number of options and techniques to understand. Yes, the various choices can make all the difference in getting that unwanted noise out of the picture.
The good news is that with a quiet opener, you’re not only eliminating noise. Let’s begin.
What’s the Most Silent Garage Door Opener?
We’ll cut to the chase: belt-driven openers are the quietest. This is not only because they don’t have metal chains, but the entire system is designed to be much quieter.
Openers with belt drives have systems made with either steel-reinforced rubber, fibreglass, or polyurethane. A design with any of these three materials lets the trolley operate more quietly, which equals better, peaceful operation for garages that are next to bedrooms or living spaces.
Belt-driven openers aren’t always the least expensive ones but the much quieter and often more durable machines are well worth the small difference in cost.
Here are the other options you have:
- Chain drive: The most durable and affordable; best suited for detached garages due to the noise it makes
- Screw drive: less noisy than chain-drive, but can be less reliable in very cold weather.
- Jackshaft: Mount on the front wall beside the door so they fit garages with obstructions, like beams. These are the quietest option because they greatly reduce vibration transfer to rooms above the garage because they are not mounted to the ceiling. Unfortunately, they are also the most expensive option.
AC vs. DC Motors
Two types of motors—alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC)—can be used in a garage door opener, which also affects noise levels.
AC motors generate energy through coils that wrap the output shaft, and the whole process happens via magnetic fields. Openers with AC motors are primarily more economical but they are much louder. They’re also more likely to feature a chain drive, which equals more noise.
Meanwhile, you’ll see more belt-driven openers with DC motors, a more expensive but quieter option. These motors can also reverse more seamlessly than AC ones, with opening and closing mechanisms at variable speeds that are gentler for your garage door.
So DC-powered belt drives are the better option for silent garage doors, but again, there’s more to it than quiet performance.
Benefits of Having a Silent Garage Door
Yes, a silent one has more benefits. Here are some of them:
- More savings: Belt-driven, DC-powered garage door openers come with a significant initial investment, but they’re more energy-efficient.
- Peaceful operation: It’s easy for a noisy garage door to annoy you or, worse, give you anxiety when standing there waiting for it to open and close.
- Lessening noise disturbances: You won’t want your garage door to disturb anyone sleeping, eating or even just relaxing—including your neighbours!
What to Do with a Noisy Garage Door
If your garage door is supposed to be silent but still makes noises, here are some tips to troubleshoot and solve the problem:
- Find where the noise comes from: torsion springs, loose nuts, bolts, hinges, and rollers are the common points that make noises. Note that disassembling your garage door system can be dangerous so don’t loosen any screws.
- Apply the solutions: You can either lubricate the springs and rollers when the door is closed, and tighten any loose nuts and bolts on the hinges.
- Seek help from a professional: From identifying the source of noise down to choosing the best type of garage door opener, a professional can always assist you, especially when there’s danger, or you don’t think you have the time to troubleshoot. They can also replace the rollers on your garage door with newer silent rollers. Don’t attempt to do this job yourself as some of the brackets holding them are under extreme tension and serious injury can result from loosening the wrong fastener.
The Door House has experts to guide you with anything we haven’t discussed about silent garage doors, including any related inquiry. Feel free to contact us today, and we’ll help you come up with a garage door plan that suits your needs!