Four Benefits Cables Have Over Chains In Garage Door Openers
Posted on: 15 February 2018
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Garage door openers have two types of circulating pulley systems. The first is a chain system, which is the most common. The second is the cable system, which is less common. However, if you are faced with garage door opener repairs, you might want to consider switching to the cable system. Here are some benefits the cable system has over the chain system.
Far Fewer Repairs
Chains kink and bunch, and then they break. Garage doors that operate on this type of system essentially have bike chains as the means of door conveyance. If you have ever experienced problems with your bike chain, then you know exactly what these repairs entail and how often they will continue to break after you have repaired them once before.
Smoother Traction
The cables in the cable systems are coated and smooth. They are intentionally made to be taut so that they do not bunch. They roll over and around the internal pulleys with ease and rarely jam up. The traction is smooth and fluid, which makes most people wonder how or why they ever bothered with the chain systems.
More Fluid Movement
You know that jerky, start/stop movement you see with chain system garage doors? That is the system trying to catch the next link in the chain, having it catch, and then the gears roll through the chain to lift or lower the door. With a cable system, the cable is set in the center of the pulleys instead of gears. The movement is much more fluid, and there is no jerking prior to the door opening or closing.
You Only Need Maintenance on the Pulleys
Because the cable systems operate using pulleys instead of gears, you only need to check and maintain the condition of the pulleys. That is really not so difficult, especially when you compare it to the greasing of the chain and gears of the chain systems. As long as the pulleys do not come out of alignment inside the garage door opener, your garage door will open and close smoothly for years to come.
Opting to Repair Rather Than Replace
Of course, you could always opt to repair your chain system rather than replace it entirely. If the problem is with the chain or gears, your garage door repair technician has to replace these parts entirely to avoid having them break again. Otherwise you can expect more opener repairs in the future.