Now when you are in the market for a garage door opener, you are bound to come across ones of varying horsepower. The most common perception is to buy the one that’s the most powerful if you can afford it. That being said there are some pretty expensive, and heavy-duty openers in the market yet we believe that most people don’t need them.

Your selection of a garage door opener will depend on factors like how long you want the garage door to last, and the weight of your current door. So, if you need an opener which is capable of lifting a double door, heavy garage door then a ½ HP opener should do the trick. Then you also have two different sizes from which to choose; each one works in a particular situation.

In this article, we will discuss what type of garage door opener to buy based on the factors that need to be considered.

Heavy Garage Doors

Doors that are made from solid wood tend to be heavier than most other doors and will require a ¾ HP garage door opener for it to work successfully. While it is possible to get away with using a smaller size opener it will not last as long. So, a ¾ is what we and other experts will strongly recommend as it will last longer allowing you to get much more out of the garage door compared to the smaller or lower-powered one. That said the ¾ horsepower option is also the most expensive one but worth it considering that it will last the longest.

Image Credit Wikimedia Commons

The Most Common Type of Garage Door Opener

The most common type is the ½ horsepower model. The reason behind it is that it offers the best mix of price and quality. So, the opener can be used with a single door garage door or a double door. Not to mention that it is pretty efficient if the door is well balanced. That’s why you might want to get the garage door examined by a professional company before replacing the opener to ensure that it is well balanced.

Lightweight Doors

Finally, we have the 1/3 horsepower motor which happens to be the best option for people who have steel garage doors or ones that are lighter. If you choose a 1/3 horsepower opener for a heavy door, it will still be able to lift it, but the opener will have to be replaced sooner than usual. Given the fact that garage door openers aren’t cheap and you need to pay for a replacement buying a high powered one makes the most sense.

Conclusion

We know from years of experience that finding a garage door opener can be dicey, to say the least. However, our guide should help you find one that’s perfectly suited for your garage door.