Perhaps you are in the market to purchase a new garage door opener, and you want to make sure you get the perfect one for your garage door. If that’s the case, then let me help you answer a few questions that may interest in you. And it is about garage door horsepower. Undoubtedly, 1/2 and 3/4 horsepower (or hp) garage door openers are the most popular options out there. But what is the difference, and which one is right for you?
1/2 horsepower garage door opener is suitable for single garage doors and lightweight double garage. 3/4 horsepower garage door opener, on the other hand, is best for much heavier double garage doors, usually made of wood or insulated garage door material.
Let’s take a look at different situations where 1/2 HP garage door opener will be the most preferred, and other situations where the 3/4 HP garage door openers are best suited for. Later in this article, we’ll take a closer look at how important garage door opener’s horsepower is.
What is a garage door opener’s horsepower?
The horsepower of a garage door opener is the power produced by the opener to lift a garage door’s weight. In this case, horsepower is just a fancy word used to describe the strength of the garage door opener.
Garage door openers are made with different horsepowers. The less powerful option you can find is 1/3 HP, and the most powerful garage door opener horsepower available is 2 HP. 1/3 HP openers are ideal for lightweight single garage doors while 2 HP garage door openers are made for the heaviest commercial garage doors.
However, the most popular options are the 1/2 HP and the 3/4 HP openers. These are the two most widely adopted horsepower because they are ideal for most residential garage doors.
The key takeaway from this section is, the higher the horsepower of the garage door opener, the stronger it is. Which means, they are capable of lifting heavier doors.
1/2 HP Garage Door Opener: When to choose it
The three horsepowers suitable for residential garage door openers are 1/3, 1/2, and 3/4 HP garage door openers. 1/2 HP openers have proven to be the more versatile option of them all. It handles lightweight single garage doors without being too powerful, and capable of lifting heavy garage doors with no problem.
But what size and weight of garage doors are they suitable for?
Wood is the heaviest material used for garage doors. So, if you own a single garage door made of wood, 1/2 HP garage door opener is an excellent option for you. Chamberlain’s B550 1/2 HP garage door opener (on Amazon) has proven to be one of the best options out there. Professionals recommend it all the time for its quietness and loads of features. It’s also powerful enough to handle your garage door with ease.
Also, suppose you own a double garage door made with lightweight materials such as uninsulated steel and aluminum, vinyl, fiberglass, and wood composite. In that case, a 1/2 HP garage door opener is the best option for you. Although these are lightweight materials, because of the garage door’s size, they can become heavy. These are considered average weight
However, if you own a single garage door made with uninsulated aluminum or steel, vinyl, fiberglass or wood composite, a 1/3 HP garage door opener is a great option. Once again, these are all lightweight materials, but this time used on a smaller sized garage door. This means a less powerful garage door opener can handle it perfectly. So, go with that option and save yourself a few bucks.
3/4 HP Garage Door Opener: When to choose it
A 3/4 HP garage door opener has all the power you need to lift the heaviest residential garage doors. It’s one of the widely used garage door opener types because, in situations where the 1/2 HP openers are not strong enough to handle, the 3/4 HP opener operates with ease.
What garage door size and weight are they suitable for?
If you own a 16 feet wide double garage door made of wood, you should go for a 3/4 HP garage door opener. These are hefty garage doors, and the extra power from a 3/4 HP opener will be required.
Also, if you own a 16 feet wide double garage door with insulated steel, aluminum, vinyl, or fiberglass, you should go for a 3/4 HP garage door opener. Although these garage door materials are lightweight, the insulation increases the weight.
If you are looking for recommendations, then Chamberlain’s futuristic garage door opener, the B4545 3/4 HP garage door opener (on Amazon), is highly recommended for you. I can say a ton about this opener and its unique feature. However, that’s beyond the scope of this article.
It’s a 3/4 HP garage door opener, making it more than enough power for your 16ft double garage door, and can operate it with ease.
Is the Garage Door Opener’s Horsepower really important?
Short answer, no. Here’s why.
The garage door’s mechanism is designed to work in such a way that the garage door’s weight is negligible. What do I mean by this?
Before garage door openers were made, we opened our garage doors manually, and it was effortless to do so. Regardless of the size and weight of your garage door, you should be able to lift it with two fingers.
That is because the garage door spring takes counterbalances the garage door’s weight. This means, with the right sized spring, your garage door should weigh less to nothing.
The point I’m trying to make is, as long as the garage door is balanced, and all the parts are in good condition and well maintained, any garage door opener, regardless of the horsepower, should be able to operate it without any problem.
However, that is not to say it is irrelevant. Now let me explain.
After years of using your garage door, it begins to wear and tear. Some parts of the rails begin to rust, and worst of all, the tension in the springs become weak. Because of these damages, the garage door’s weight will not be adequately counterbalanced as it was before. This means the garage door will not operate smoothly, and it will be heavier to lift and drop.
This is where the garage door opener’s horsepower becomes crucial. If the garage door opener’s horsepower is not powerful enough, the opener may not work at all. And when it does work, the motor inside the opener may damage. And honestly, it is expensive to have a garage door opener’s motor repaired. You can read more about this concept in a previous post I made here. See here
Having a powerful garage door opener will ensure the garage door operates smoothly without any noticeable difference. The garage door opener’s strength will ensure all these changes are nullified for the door to operate smoothly.
A word to the wise
I hope this gives you a reasonably detailed explanation of garage door opener’s horsepower. You should know whether to pick a 1/2 HP or a 3/4 HP garage door opener for your residential garage door. If you found this post helpful, don’t forget to share it.
