Recommend me a budget, auto garage door opener.
Discussion
If the door's correctly adjusted the opener barely does anything.
I got a Chamberlain one from Screwfix a while ago and bought the heavier duty one thinking the bigger the better etc.
I also got a sectional Clopay door from B&Q, which I don't think they do now - Clopay is pretty well the standard door fitted in the US.
Once installed and the spring tensions are set, the door opens with the lightest of touches.
I think a snag with up-and-over doors is the opening action is a bit awkward. Watch for intrusion of the arm attachment - if you had a 4x4 or van it might hit the rear edge of the roof as the door opens.
I got a Chamberlain one from Screwfix a while ago and bought the heavier duty one thinking the bigger the better etc.
I also got a sectional Clopay door from B&Q, which I don't think they do now - Clopay is pretty well the standard door fitted in the US.
Once installed and the spring tensions are set, the door opens with the lightest of touches.
I think a snag with up-and-over doors is the opening action is a bit awkward. Watch for intrusion of the arm attachment - if you had a 4x4 or van it might hit the rear edge of the roof as the door opens.
The remotes are the most expensive bit of the deal.
I have a Ditec kit and the original remotes had an A23 12Volt Battery which would last about a year,the replacement remotes have a 2023 battery like in your computer motherboard which last about 2 months.
So if you have access to the garage from the house think about fitting a switch inside,and if the garage stands alone think about a keyswitch on the outside in case the battery does go flat.
I have a Ditec kit and the original remotes had an A23 12Volt Battery which would last about a year,the replacement remotes have a 2023 battery like in your computer motherboard which last about 2 months.
So if you have access to the garage from the house think about fitting a switch inside,and if the garage stands alone think about a keyswitch on the outside in case the battery does go flat.
>raf_gti said:
I don't really need but I really want an auto door opener, trouble is I don't want to spend a massive amount yet still want it to be reliable.
Garage door in question is a standard single door on a new build property.
Define massive amount.Garage door in question is a standard single door on a new build property.
Define standard single door, steel canopy or other?
eps said:
raf_gti said:
I don't really need but I really want an auto door opener, trouble is I don't want to spend a massive amount yet still want it to be reliable.
Garage door in question is a standard single door on a new build property.
Define massive amount.Garage door in question is a standard single door on a new build property.
Define standard single door, steel canopy or other?
It's a steel up & over style, with the large springs at the bottom and retracting all the way in to the garage.
raf_gti said:
eps said:
raf_gti said:
I don't really need but I really want an auto door opener, trouble is I don't want to spend a massive amount yet still want it to be reliable.
Garage door in question is a standard single door on a new build property.
Define massive amount.Garage door in question is a standard single door on a new build property.
Define standard single door, steel canopy or other?
It's a steel up & over style, with the large springs at the bottom and retracting all the way in to the garage.
I bought a couple of ebay specials from Germany when I did my garage doors and have not had any problems, they even sent spare bits when required. They were about £65 each
Ben
trix-a-belle said:
BigBen said:
if it sticks out a bit and is a canopy style door you need a scissor adaptor type of mechanism which makes the whole thing a bit more annoying.
oh argh & there was me thinking I might be able to do mine reasonably easily 
S
raf_gti said:
Daft question but if I want to have the garage locked duing the day will I still have to use the key? Thus rendering the auto opening rather defunct?
Not a daft question. No - the motor will effectively lock the door in place. As an extra cost, extra locking points can be purchased - if compatible with your door of course.Do you know the manufacturer and style of your door?
eps said:
Not a daft question. No - the motor will effectively lock the door in place.
This would obviously be trickier without the windows: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMz1tXBVT1s
raf_gti said:
Daft question but if I want to have the garage locked duing the day will I still have to use the key? Thus rendering the auto opening rather defunct?
I've got one of these:http://www.easygates.co.uk/lm800a.asp
from there as well. Works well.
As it's DC it slows down at top of travel. My mum has a big AC one and that doesn't half bang the door shut.
I wired into the lamp holder so that all the garage lights come on when the door opens for the delay rather than the dim lamp that comes internal to the unit.
I also bought another remote and went for the chain over the belt.
I only lock the thing if i'm going away, for day to day stuff the motor holds the door shut.
However there is a manual disconnect to enable the door to operate manually, and the connection to the chain is plastic. I reckon if you gave the door a big whack with a sledge right behind where the bracket fixes to the door, it would break and you could just open the door.
It was £160 a year ago and has been problem free. You have to mess about with it to start with to set the auto reopen if it hits anything, but you can buy all sorts of accessories, from magic eyes and sirens to keypads and the like.
The only problem with it, is it's tremendous range, my garage is 200ft away from the house yet the remote works from the house, i've accidently opened the door a few times from inside the house.
Edited by davethebunny on Wednesday 18th August 15:53
Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff