Question:
I have just fought my last fight with diy garage door openers! The motor
holds up, but the door refuses to open OR close when cold weather comes in.
I have had the door checked several times and it is fine. I am now looking
at the Allstar MVP opener or the Chamberlain LiftMaster opener, either to be
installed and maintained by a garage door company. If there are any
problems, let THEM take care of it. The Allstar is all metal gears, but I
can not find any info about the Chamberlain. The Allstar is a full roller
chain, no cable. The Chamberlain is the belt drive. The Allstar 20 year
warranty covers the entire drive train and only 2 years on the electronics.
The Chamberlain's lifetime waranty covers only the motor and belt, and 5
years on everything else. The Allstar supposedly has a "shock-absorbing
door arm" to "soak up the sudden stops and starts of typical use, protecing
the door and opener," however I see nothing in the manual about this arm.
Anybody have any personal experience with either of these units?
Answer:
-Chamberlain is probably the largest residential garage door opener company
in the USA. Sears openers are from Chamberlain.
-Have you looked into the IDrive units? My next garage will have one of
them.
The belt driven ones are definitely quieter. Plan on a surge arrestor for
the electronics, I lost the last brain on one cause of a spike. The
instructions even say to install an arrestor for the opener.
-Do you mean that after detaching the opener from the door, it opens and
closes properly and will remain half way fully open and fully closed without
assistance and moves without any unusual force?
What have you checked on the opener. It would seem the problem is not
finding the problem, not the opener.
-Maybe someone needs to take another look at the door or the mounting of
the openers. There just should not be that many failures. If the door is
properly installed and a properly sized opener or any make properly
installed should be able to function.
-Maybe someone needs to take another look at the door or the
mounting of
the openers. There just should not be that many failures. If the door
is
properly installed and a properly sized opener or any make properly
installed should be able to function. "
I agree. And has the door been checked out during cold weather, which
is apparently the problem? A garage door shouldn't be very different
in opening force in cold weather. It's possible something is shrinking
and binding. What kind of lubricant is on it?
With the opener disconnected, the door should move easily up and down
with one hand. At about the mid-point of travel, it should be just
about balanced so that it will stay there if you let it go.
