A garage door opener is a key to smoothly opening or closing a garage door. It’s a motorized device attached to the door that opens and closes the garage door panels.
A typical electric garage door opener comprises a power unit and an electric motor that attaches to a track. A trolley connected to an arm attached to the top of the garage door slides back and forth on the track, thus opening and closing the garage door.
If you’re familiar with different garage door openers, you’d agree that belt drive technology is one of the most reliable and smooth door openers. Although slightly expensive than older garage door opener technology, a belt-drive garage door opener comes with many long-term benefits.
What is Belt Drive Garage Door Opener Technology?
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A belt-drive garage technology is one of the latest garage door opening technologies introduced to smoothly open and close garage doors. The electric garage door opener functions similarly to its predecessor chain-drive system but uses a belt instead of a chain to move the trolley.
Belt-drive systems also have fewer moving parts that make them an ergonomic and safe choice as the garage door opener.
One of the advantages of using belt-drive technology is that it doesn’t create noise or vibration like chain-drive technology. The belt provides quieter and smoother operation, making it a perfect choice for residential homes.
Unlike the older door opening system, the belt-drive comprises a modern mechanism that generates electronic beams that extend across the door opening to prevent entrapment. The belt-drive system easily reverses the garage door panels ensuring maximum safety.
Add a modern garage door lock and garage door sensor to it, and a belt-drive garage door system will make your garage door one of the safest in the country.
How does Belt Drive Garage Door Opener work?
Belt-drive garage door openers rely on a drive-belt, drive trolley, sprocket, and holders to operate any garage door. The most important part, i.e., drive-belt, is typically steel-reinforced rubber. As an alternative, you can also use polyurethane or fiberglass both are stronger materials.
When operated, this system utilizes high-strength, high-tensile drive belts that can handle the weight load of most single and double garage doors. Depending on the size and weight of the garage door, you’d need to upgrade a garage door opener with differing horsepower. Heavier or one-piece doors may require higher horsepower openers.
The drive belt runs along the rail and wraps around a sprocket at the end that connects the garage door. The other end connects to a driving trolley. A threaded clip is used to keep the belt tight and in-place.
When you open the door, either with a push-button or remote access, the drive trolley starts pulling the belt backward; hence opening the door. To close the garage door, the drive trolley will release the belt slowly. The noiseless drive trolley and the belt help to keep the noise to a minimum.
Advantages of Belt Drive Technology
Using belt-drive garage door openers come with many great advantages. Some of the most highlighted advantages are as follows;
- The belt drive garage door opener’s main advantage is that it uses a belt instead of a chain. The chain, when pulled or pushed, creates a lot of tension that creates noise. The Belt-drive system significantly reduces the noise level during operation since there’s no metal-on-metal contact.
- They are just as reliable as a chain but do not need to be lubricated to keep the metal parts functioning.
- Belt drive garage door openers have an effective system that can push and pull the door faster than other garage door openers, typically raise and lower at a rate of 7 or 8 inches per second.
- If homeowners have bedrooms or common areas attached to the garage, they’re recommended to use a belt drive opener.
Disadvantages of Belt Drive Garage Door Opener
Even a belt-drive garage door opener has some cons, but they aren’t as big as you think.
- The belt drive garage door opener is slightly more expensive than a chain drive garage door opener. This is Ok because the belt-drive system employs a more efficient and noiseless mechanism.
- The rubber belt may also stretch out over time and need to be adjusted to ensure the right amount of tension is constantly applied. This can become a problem if you aren’t familiar with the door opener’s mechanism.
- Belt-drive garage door openers are not as equipped to handle the heavyweight that chain drive or jackshaft drive can lift without much effort.
Do you need a belt-drive opener?
The Belt-drive garage door opening system is perfect for the attached garage. If a garage is usually attached to the home and adjoining rooms like a living hall or bedroom, the door opening system can create a lot of noise and vibration, such as a chain-drive garage door opener.
It’s best for the single and double garage doors that aren’t heavier in nature. For most all-wood garage doors that are heavier in nature, a belt-drive door opener isn’t recommended.
Final Verdict
Belt-drive garage door openers employ fairly simple mechanisms that tend to last a long time. When you properly care for your garage door, it can easily last 10 to 15 years, and in some cases, 20 years or more. Unlike other garage door opening systems, belt-drive functions smoothly with fewer mechanical parts; hence no need to frequently replace or remove the parts.
It’s a modern garage door opener that works best with attached garages, and it meets the safety requirement for any modern garage door opener throughout the country. While you’ll be spending slightly more for these, they will prove to be the most reliable and safest garage door opener.
Here is a list of few highly-rated belt-drive garage door openers for your consideration.
- Elite Series 8550W-This door opener features a battery backup, Security+ 2.0 safeguard access, and MyQ Technology with Wi-Fi.
- Elite Series 8557W –It features a steel-reinforced belt for increased lifting strength and a Timer-to-Close pre-programming system to close the garage door after a set time automatically.
- Premium Series 8355W-This opener features a “Motor Vibration Isolation System” for quiet operation and built-in Wi-Fi capabilities.
- WLED-It features a DC battery backup, home connectivity, and automatic garage door lock.
