electric garage door opener

[mdickmann]

I see that the Chamberlin openers have a rail that comes in pieces.  Does this sag after a while?

[rlnguy]

I put in a Chamberlain B550 smart opener, a few months ago. It has the sectional track, and it fit tight, and isn't showing any sign of sagging-or at least no more than the 1 piece track the old opener had. My brother put in 2 of them, (2 doors), a year ago, and reports no problem with sag, either.
It can be controlled from a smart phone, though I haven't taken the time to set it up yet.
One feature I like is that if I go out, and stay out until the light shuts off, it comes back on, as soon as I break the safety light beam.

[fredhargis]

I see that the Chamberlin openers have a rail that comes in pieces.  Does this sag after a while?

The ones in our last house were 6 years old when we sold it, and they hadn't sagged. The ones they replaced were also Chamberlain with sectional rails (age unknown, but old) that hadn't sagged.

[mdickmann]

I see that i have a selection of motor horse powers to choose from.  0.5,or 3/4...  My garage door is made from wood.  When I lift it by hand, I feel like i might be lifting 50 lbs max.  Just an estimate.  What size motor should I buy?  Or does it not really matter.

Thanks,

[fixtureman]

I see that i have a selection of motor horse powers to choose from.  0.5,or 3/4...  My garage door is made from wood.  When I lift it by hand, I feel like i might be lifting 50 lbs max.  Just an estimate.  What size motor should I buy?  Or does it not really matter.

Thanks,

If your door is adjust right even a 1/4 HP unit is plenty  I have a 1/4 on my 8x16 shop door.

[fredhargis]

Years ago (many yeas ago) those openers came in 1/4 and 1/2 HP sizes. Now they seem to start at 1/2 and go over 1 HP. I guess horses got weaker over the years. Anyway, I had an 7x18' wood garage door (again, years ago) and it worked quire nicely with 1/2 HP. More recently I've had insulated steel or aluminum doors, and 7x12' and 7x16' ones worked really well with 1/2 HP. But if your door freezes to the concrete in the winter (or some other special happening) you might want more HP. But certainly for normal operation a 1/2HP should be plenty for at least up to 16' wide.

[barnowl]

I need to replace my ancient electric garage door opener.  Motor seems to have seized up.  Won't lift anymore.  Just makes a buzzing noise
I went over to Lowe's, and the sales associate there said that the openers came with a 7 foot bar.  My bar measures 10 feet.  
My question is:  Does  a new opener need a new bar?  Or can I use the old one?  Will the new parts be compatible with the old bar?
If not, how difficult is it to obtain a new bar?  I don't see them in the store.  

Thanks,
Mark

I measured my door and it is 7 feet from the floor to the top of the garage door.  Very standard.  These are all around the neighborhood. 
Will the Chamberlin openers that are at Lowe's fit this?
Is Chamberlin a good brand to buy?

I see that the Chamberlin openers have a rail that comes in pieces.  Does this sag after a while?

I see that i have a selection of motor horse powers to choose from.  0.5,or 3/4...  My garage door is made from wood.  When I lift it by hand, I feel like i might be lifting 50 lbs max.  Just an estimate.  What size motor should I buy?  Or does it not really matter.

Thanks,

In my opinion, you're better off hiring a professional garage door company.

There's a whole lot more to this than just hanging a new door opener.

<<<< I've done perhaps eight or ten of them.... I forget.

But part of it is balancing and aligning the door properly, making sure all the rollers work properly, and making sure the springs are doing their job.

That's why your 400 pound door felt like it only weighed 50 pounds. Truth be told, it shouldn't have felt that heavy.

A pro will charge more than you doing it yourself, but not that much more.

Oh, and so you know, Chamberlain owns Liftmaster, and are perhaps the largest manufacturer of openers.

[mdickmann]

Barnowl,
After reading your response and after looking over some you-tube videos I concluded that my garage door does need more than just a new motor.  When I manually lift the door up all the way, it won't stay up.  So should I expect to purchase new springs as well?  They are extension springs.

[barnowl]

Barnowl,
After reading your response and after looking over some you-tube videos I concluded that my garage door does need more than just a new motor.  When I manually lift the door up all the way, it won't stay up.  So should I expect to purchase new springs as well?  They are extension springs.

Probably. They lose their tension, and need to be replaced periodically.

And cables, and rollers need to be adjusted or replaced.

Do yourself a favor, and bring in a pro.

When he's done, it will be right.

[TDKPE]

Barnowl,
After reading your response and after looking over some you-tube videos I concluded that my garage door does need more than just a new motor.  When I manually lift the door up all the way, it won't stay up.  So should I expect to purchase new springs as well?  They are extension springs.

What barn said, but if you do it yourself, inspect the cables, and if the springs don’t have safety cables, add them.  A spring that breaks can do some real damage if not contained.