Chain Vs Belt Drive Garage Door

Belt drive is the luxury choice for those who insist on quiet operation and sleek design.

Chain vs belt drive garage door.

Belt drive openers are pretty much identical to chain drive garage door openers with one main difference. The chain drive garage door opener was the standard for many decades before belt and screw drive mechanisms were introduced. 0 35 hp for doors up to 350 lbs. The rubber belt is used to slide the trolley when the door is triggered to open or close the door.

The actual mechanisms of the openers are the same with the exception of a belt drive garage door opener using a steel reinforced rubber fiberglass or polyurethane belt. They are exactly the same as the belt drive with the belt simply replacing the chain in the drive mechanism. It uses a chain running assembly unit attached to tension springs that lift the garage door up and down. You guessed it they utilize a belt instead of a chain.

The noise from the chain drive which is made from the gearing motor and metal to metal contact leaves this type of opener at a disadvantage. When comparing the chain drive garage door opener and the belt drive system you will notice that the belt drive is much quieter. These openers have the same mechanism as that used on chain drives except for the substitution of a quieter belt for the chain. The chains used on residential garage door openers typically have higher tensile strength and greater lifting capacity than belts.

Other installation features are similar to that of belts the chain is joined with an adjustable clip and driven by a sprocket on top of the motor. They also may last longer in certain applications. Like a chain drive the belt drive operates by moving the rubber belt.