Updated: March 13, 2023
When it comes to customizing your garage door to operate the way you want, choosing the right opener is a crucial part of the decision-making process. Each opener has its own characteristics that might be right for one person and terrible for the next, which means it comes down to personal preference after a thorough evaluation of the facts.
One option worth considering is the residential chain drive garage door opener — the most popular and widely used opening system in garage doors today.
How Does a Chain Drive Garage Door Opener Work?
These openers use a trolley system with a chain similar to the one you might find on your bicycle. The chain is connected to the garage door and moves along a track to raise and lower the door. This opener follows the principles of any simple pulley system, which means that if your home has a power outage or other emergency, you’ll still be able to manually pull your garage door open or closed.
You’ll need to remember to keep your chain drive opener lubricated so it continues to run smoothly for years to come.
5 Benefits of a Chain Drive Garage Door Opener
1. They’re Inexpensive
You won’t find an opener at a lower cost than the residential chain drive opener, which is largely responsible for its popularity among homeowners. Both the opener itself and the installation process are more affordable than other openers.
2. They Can Support Heavy Garage Doors
The strong metal links in the chain mean this opener can lift doors of any weight, including two-car doors and heavy wooden doors. Belt drive garage door openers can’t lift extremely heavy doors without risk to the belt, making the chain opener an ideal choice for those with heavier doors.
3. They’re Dependable Year-Round
While belt openers can often start to slip in climates with high humidity or extreme temperatures, the chain drive opener remains sturdy and reliable no matter what’s happening with the weather or other external circumstances.
4. They Have a Long Lifespan
Because the metal in the chain is so durable, the chain drive opener has a much longer lifespan than any other opener. The one catch is that it has to be properly maintained and lubricated frequently in order to meet its potential and vastly outlast the lifespan of a belt drive opener.
5. They’re Easy To Find
Just like with the belt drive openers, you won’t have trouble finding this model if you decide it’s the right opener for your home. Residential chain drive garage door openers can be found in almost any home goods store and are available through any garage door specialists in your area or online.
Seattle Area Chain Drive Opener Installation and Repairs with DistribuDoors
Whether you’ve decided to go with the chain drive opener or a different opener, we’d be happy to provide you with one of our Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval-backed products at DistribuDoors. As opposed to subcontracting, which can lead to installation inconsistencies and poor work quality, we only send our own fully trained, certified and background-checked employees. Contact us to order your new garage door opener today!