The horsepower needed for your garage door opener is dependent on whether or not you want a long lasting opener verses replacing it every few cycles or the size of the door.
How much hp for double garage door opener.
Modern high quality 1 2 hp models are suitable for most 1 and 2 car garage doors.
A 1 3 horsepower opener can handle most doors 10 feet wide by 8 feet tall made of lightweight material such as uninsulated steel.
If the garage is the main entrance to your home or you have a one piece door or a heavy oversized garage door you ll probably need one with the lifting power of a 3 4 to 1.
Personally i would steer away from 1 3 hp models unless you have a lightweight 1 car garage door.
One car garages with steel doors only need a 1 2 horsepower garage door opener.
They are also the most common and the most popular.
Garages with carriage doors should opt for 1 hp garage door openers or higher.
The most popular out of the three choices this opener works best with single and double garage doors that have an average weight such as a carriage style door.
Doors between eight and 12 feet in width are no problem.
Average weight double doors and heavier single doors work well with 1 2 horsepower openers.
How much garage door opener horsepower is enough.
How much horsepower does a garage door opener need.
A chain driven opener can cost 150 to 350 while a belt driven opener can cost 200 to 300.
Look for horsepower hp ratings to compare the lifting power between garage door opener models.
The cost of a garage door opener will depend on the horsepower the brand and if you choose a professional to install it.
Ratings ranging from 1 2 horsepower to 1 1 2 horsepower are typical for residential models.
If you have a sectional double car garage door a 1 2 horsepower motor should be sufficient but a higher power model will operate with less effort and less.
Two car garages or one car garages with insulated or wooden doors need at least a 3 4 horsepower garage door opener.
If you have a wooden or insulated double car garage door up to 16 feet wide and 8 feet tall you may want to move up to a 3.
Garage door size and frequency of use.