byAlma Abell

The garage door opener—perhaps it is not as respected as the television remote control or microwave oven, but it is still a handy labor-saving device. Automatic garage door openers are not without their disadvantages, but their advantages are definitely strong enough to make this piece of technology common in many houses.

How Automatic Garage Door Openers WorkThere are two components to garage door openers, the winch motor that pulls the door open and the remote. The motor basically turns a spool of cable or chain that is attached to the garage door (and the release latch), so that as soon as the spool turns and pulls in the cable, it lifts the door. As it turns the other way and releases cable or chain from the spool, it subsequently lowers the door. The remote triggers the winch motor to turn on or off.

Advantages of Garage Door OpenersThe greatest advantage of garage door openers is that they allow you to stay in your car and not have to get out to open the door. In inclement weather, many drivers have been very grateful for their garage door opener. Marietta residents may not usually have to contend with bitter cold and ice storms, but there is enough heavy rain and severe heat to make them appreciate the added convenience of not having to leave the car until they’re safely in the garage. For some people it’s more than just convenience—they may not be physically able to lift a garage door by hand, and in those cases an opener is a huge help.

Disadvantages of Garage Door OpenersMost of the disadvantages of garage door openers relate to safety. Many drivers have pushed the button on the remote to open the garage door on the way out and forgotten to push it again to close it or pushed it when they were out of range, thus leaving their garage wide open. Most remotes operate on a binary 8 pin system, too, meaning that a criminal has a one in 256 chance of being able to open a random garage door with his own remote. Automatic garage door openers also depend on electricity, so if the power goes out, you’re stuck with a manual garage door again.

If you want to enjoy the convenience of an automatic garage door opener or if you already have one and need it repaired.