Dear Jim:My teenage son is driving now. When he comes home late at night, my old garage door opener is so loud that it wakes me. What design features should I look for in a new quiet and secure garage door opener? --Pat Z.Dear Pat: Many of the recent design improvements have been directed toward making garage door openers operate more quietly and reliably. I was at the Hardware Show in Chicago last month where I could operate and compare the noise levels of many models. There are significant differences.
Security is also a major concern. Thieves, with an electronic code grabber, can capture the remote transmitter code on any garage door opener about five or more years old. Once they have your code, they can set their own remote control and open your garage door anytime after you leave.
When selecting a new opener, select one that has rolling security codes.
The transmitter and receiver have more than 1,000,000 built-in random codes. Every time you open the door, they automatically change to a new code.
The majority of noise from a garage door opener is produced by 1) the trolley/track mechanism (connects the power unit to the garage door, and 2) the power drive unit (motor drive that is mounted on the garage ceiling).
In general, the most quiet designs use a belt-drive on the trolley.
Several models use a quiet Kevlar (five times stronger than steel) plastic belt instead of a chain or screw. Since it is flexible, it damps out vibrations and eliminates the noisy metal-to-metal contact of chain or screw drives.
One new screw-drive model, Excelerator, is about as quiet as the higher-priced belt-drive models. It uses a plastic-lined track to reduce metal-to-metal contact. It also opens twice as fast as just about any other garage door opener, so you only have to listen to it for half as long.
Some high-quality, efficient garage door openers use a direct current (DC)motor instead of standard alternating current (AC) motor. A DC motor uses less electricity, and its speed can easily be controlled.
This allows a simpler drive mechanism to be used for reliability and less noise.
Using a DC motor also allows for a soft start and stop cycle to eliminate any loud clank sounds. The door starts closing slowly, reaches full speed and then slows down again just before it touches the floor.
Look for a model with magnetic stop sensors for precise opening and closing.
For security and convenience, choose a model with multifunctional remote opener controls. In addition to opening the door, another button switches on just the garage light. A third button can switch on lights or appliances inside your house. The wall-mounted switch has a child-safe lock-out button.
Write for (or instantly download - www.dulley.com) Update Bulletin No. 882 -- buyer's guide of the best, quiet garage door openers, horsepower, drive-type, controls and features. Please include $3 and a business-size SASE.
James Dulley, Deseret News, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244
Dear Jim:We are planning to build a new super-efficient house. It will have 2x6 insulated walls covered with siding. What type of siding is most popular now and will it have an impact on the efficiency? -- Ron R.
Dear Ron: If you build and seal your house wall properly, the type of siding will have little impact on its efficiency. A lighter color is always better because it can reduce radiant heat gain in the summer sun.
Although each area of the country has its own preferences, overall, vinyl siding is the most popular, capturing about one-third of the market. Wood is still used on about one-quarter of the homes, and brick comes in third.
"You can take an online open house tour of James Dulley's own house and see all the money-savings improvements and products that he tests in his own home. There are nearly 100 pictures with links to the various columns that describe the improvements and products. Go to www.dulley.com/house/ on the Internet to visit his home."