Residential & Commercial Garage Door Openers: Everything You Need to Know
Posted by Charlene Pepiot on 15th Dec 2023
| Finding the ideal garage door operator (or opener) for commercial and residential doors can be tricky, and is largely dependent on the type of door and job at hand. If you’re unsure what door is best for you, talk to our sales and support staff! With 35+ years of experience, they are prepared to discuss your specific job to ensure you install the best operator for your needs. If you need a quick synopsis of operator types before then, read below! |
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Do You Need a Residential or Commercial Garage Door Opener? |
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| The type of opener you will need depends on your door. Generally, residential openers are installed for residential doors and commercial operators for commercial applications. If your door is for a facility, a loading dock, or a similar commercial enterprise, you should install a commercial operator. Homeowners doing home improvement on their garages should use a residential operator due to their additional safety features. | |
What Garage Door Opener Model is the Safest for Commercial and Residential Doors? |
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| In 1995, the US government changed several residential opener safety regulations and similarly overhauled commercial opener regulations in 2010. These now-standard safety regulations are roughly the same from state to state, meaning that all operators on the legal market are universally the same on a basic safety level, though different models carry unique safety features like self-determining limit systems, buzzers and connectivity with smart home apps. | |
| Newer garage door openers can connect to various smartphone apps that make life easier. Through your phone, you can monitor if your garage door is open or closed, and some apps even let you see who is entering your home with the operator’s camera, if they have one. Smart apps also allow for packages to be delivered inside your garage and the ability to speak to people in real time. These features give you more control over your garage space than ever before—all from your smart device! | |
What Garage Door Openers does Action Carry? |
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| Action Industries has over 35 years of experience, and we only carry the best brands by top manufacturers! We have operators for all types of commercial doors, from rolling steel to traditional sectional garages to heavy-loading docks. Our feature brands offer an array of opener variants to fit your specific needs, such as many residential door operators letting you choose between jackshaft or trolley styles. | |
| Our line of PowerMaster appliances includes operators for sliding doors, sectional doors, and more. The residential doors we carry include Liftmaster, Genie, and Sommer. Action is always adding new operators to our website and inventory, so talk with our sales team if you do not see the part you need. | |
Does my Garage Door Need a Jackshaft or a Drawbar Operator? |
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| While the style of your operator is largely dependent on your door’s size and material, there are some instances when you can choose between a jackshaft or drawbar (also called a trolley) installation. The best option depends on what you want out of the opener. | |
| What is a Jackshaft Operator? |
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| A jackshaft operator connects to the tube where the garage door spring is attached to open and close the door. Jackshafts are mounted on the inside of a garage’s wall. This placement virtually eliminates noise and vibrations to adjacent living spaces that a garage door opener with more moving parts would cause. Due to being on a wall, jackshafts take up less space and require fewer parts to function. | |
| Jackshaft operators are more visually appealing than drawbars with their minimalistic footprint in a garage’s valuable space. With residents using their garages for more personal uses like mancaves, she-sheds, or party spaces, a jackshaft can be a great way to make your opener more subtle. | |
| What is a Drawbar Opener? |
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| Drawbar garage door openers are some of the most popular openers on the market. They typically feature chain drive or belt drive rails that attach to the top section of a door and have an arm that pushes and pulls the door from the top to make it open and close. They are mounted on the ceiling and are durable and reliable. Not to mention, most houses already have the hardware and electrical set up for drawbar operators. This also makes drawbars a popular choice when upgrading your operator. | |
| Drawbars are great for residents looking for a cost-efficient and reliable opener. They are also compatible with most residential doors that use extension springs or torsion springs. | |
Do You Need a Light-Duty, Medium-Duty, or Heavy-Duty Opener? |
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| Operators can be classified as being light-, medium-, or heavy-duty based on how many cycles they can safely complete within an hour. For example, a light-duty opener has limited hourly cycles and thus can only be used on occasion while a heavy-duty opener will be installed on doors frequently used. It is important to choose the motor best equipped to handle how frequently a door is used to prevent damage to the operator. | |
| Light-duty and medium-duty operators are designed for lighter doors with limited hourly cycles while heavy-duty openers are reserved for doors in constant use and are key entry or exit points for a busy facility, such as main loading docks. | |
| Note that a heavier door would require a different and more powerful motor regardless of size, so it’s important to consider both when purchasing an opener. | |
What are the Best Garage Door Openers for Commercial and Residential Doors? |
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| While the best model for you will vary depending on the door and intended use, here are several great options to consider. | |
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Commercial Garage Door Openers: |
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| LiftMaster garage door openers have the latest technology for commercial doors of all types. They make commercial jackshaft, hoist and rolling sheet door operators. LiftMaster provides security when locked, which is invaluable if you're protecting merchandise or are responsible for others’ belongings in a storage facility or business. The design of LiftMaster lets you install rolling sheet garage doors in places where ceiling space is precious. LiftMaster makes models that are perfect for light-, medium- or heavy-duty doors and industrial spaces. Accessories like battery backups, motion sensors, Wi-Fi connection, additional lighting, keypads and more make this brand a smart investment. | |
| Automatic Technologies is an Australian-owned world leader in remote access systems for garage doors and gates. The company makes great accessories that are straightforward and easy to install. Their in-house designed smart technologies make their operators reliable and simple to use. They maintain secure access control by utilizing some of the same security measures used by banks and government agencies to prevent unwanted access. | |
| Genie's commercial openers have ½ horsepower motors and great operational features. Their maximum door height ranges from 10-to-24 feet. Genie commercial models are intended for high, or full-lift sectional doors, with the exception of the light-duty operator, which is meant for rolling counter and fire doors. Genie’s hoist operators also have a manual hoist functionality for emergency operations. | |
| Our line of PowerMaster openers is great for rolling steel doors, grilles, sectional doors, and more. PowerMaster is known for its quality, reliability, and efficiency while being up to date on the industry’s latest available technology. Their field adjustable built-in functions include a timer to close, mid-stop, delay on reverse, lock bar sensing, and more. PowerMaster makes their operators specifically for carwash applications, so they are resistant to damp conditions too. They also use reduced gears in their operators, and fewer parts mean less chance for the product to break! | |
| Manaras-Opera® is recognized as a leader in the industry for its reliable and innovative products. Its OPERA™ series of commercial jackshafts, trolleys, gearheads, and sliding door operators are designed for medium and heavy-duty doors. They are easy to install and use. Manaras-Opera® includes a wide range of modifications and accessories to provide you with unique solutions to whatever your job requires. Each garage door opener comes with a manufacturer's warranty for peace of mind. |
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| Micanan openers are designed for use on commercial sectional doors with high or vertical lift tracks as well as small rolling grilles that require no more than 15 cycles per hour. Many of their operators contain unique features like external radio control terminal strips and a floor-level cable disconnect system with an electrical cut-out feature in case of an emergency. You can also choose to have solenoid brake standards installed, which are electrically controlled brakes that increase safety, as well as the ability to remove the opener’s motor without affecting its limit settings for efficiency and convenience. | |
| Manaras models have a baked-on, long-lasting enamel finish for corrosion protection that is great if installed in an area with extreme climates. The Manaras Opera MH commercial garage door opener is especially excellent for use with high and vertical lift sectional doors as well as rolling doors and grilles. The operator can be wall-mounted, with a hood or shelf mounted on either side of the door. The opener also features the Hoist-a-matic for manual operation. | |
| Zap openers are great commercial options that are safe and ultra-quiet. The Zap 8825 Operator is also the smallest side mount in the industry today for those who want their opener to be subtle in their garage. Zap’s SafetySense technology is a great feature that allows the Zap to detect any obstruction when the door is opening or closing. Zap openers also don’t have a lot of complicated parts, so repairing them is efficient and cost-effective. Their installation is also a super easy process. | |
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Residential Garage Door Openers: |
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| Sommer is an innovative German brand that offers a unique spin on the door trolley operator. While other openers use chains, belts or screws, Sommer’s Direct Drive Technology has a single moving part attached to the door trolley. This design allows Sommer operators to have an extremely quiet operation and be incredibly durable and long-lasting. Most models include a DC-motor attached to the door to provide maximum lifting force and a lifetime warranty on motors as well as LED technology for durable, efficient lighting. | |
| LiftMaster’s residential line for sectional doors carries over the quality of its commercial models but is tailored to residential needs. The MyQ app of LiftMaster is another great smart home product that allows you to monitor your garage from anywhere with your smart device. Additional smart home features like Amazon Key can help keep your packages safe from theft by giving delivery drivers a one-time code to access your garage, deliver your package and leave. You can monitor all of this via a live video feed and talk to them in real-time too. The app’s MyQ Diagnostics feature provides real-time insights on your garage door’s functionality via the Health Report. You can also receive alerts and error codes in the app if the operator runs into an issue and even connect with a professional for services if needed. | |
| Genie residential openers include many convenient smart home products, such as the Aladdin Connect feature. This turns your smart device into a remote to operate your garage door! You can open and close your garage door from the convenience of your phone, which is a great feature when you remember you left your door open while in bed at 3 a.m. You can also set up time-based rules and have a record of the dates and times the door was used. This may not be great news for your teenager trying to sneak in past curfew, but it does offer you peace of mind. Genie works with Walmart’s InHome Delivery, which allows trusted Walmart associates to deliver groceries when you are not home—they can even be placed in your garage’s refrigerator! | |
Why are Battery Backups Important? |
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| In the event of a power outage, battery backups allow you to access your garage. This is an essential feature to have in the event of extreme weather, emergencies, evacuations, and when you need general access to important items (like food or generators) stored in your garage. | |
| As of July 1, 2019, all newly sold or installed garage door openers for residential doors in California are required to have a battery backup, so homeowners with older openers may not have this critical safety feature. Even if you live outside California, upgrading your operators to include a battery backup gives a homeowner peace of mind knowing they can get their garage door open in case of a power outage or emergency. | |
How to install a Residential Garage Door Wall Mount Opener and Jackshaft Opener |
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| For a step-by-step written and video guide for installing both a residential garage door wall mount opener and a jackshaft opener, click here! |
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What is a Garage Door Opener’s Life Expectancy? |
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| The life expectancy of residential operators is roughly 7-8 years. The frequency and type of usage for commercial operators will affect their lifespan, and they typically last 5-10 years. | |
How to Maintain and Repair a Garage Door Opener? |
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| Maintaining operators is important to keep them in working condition for as long as possible. Operators can be maintained by observing your door during each use and checking for any jerks or scraping noises, which could indicate an issue. Check the condition of the operator’s cables and test the Auto-Reverse Safety Features to ensure the hardware is in good working condition. | |
| With residential operators moving up and down over a thousand times a year and commercial operators surpassing that, it’s important to be mindful of your operator’s condition. | |
| In the event your operator needs to be repaired, Action Industries carries a wide range of parts and accessories to help you fix your model. | |
How to Connect with Our Sales and Support Team |
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| Our sales and support team has over 35 years of experience and is willing to help you in real-time find the best operator for your door! | |
| To best judge what operator you should choose, have these four measurements ready for the sales team: | |
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| Action Industries has every part for every door, including operators! See our full catalog here. |