Hello,

I'm in the process of wirring a detached garage, and I'm considering installing an automatic garage door opener. My question is: since I didn't purchase the machine yet (in fact, I don't know too much about how these things are connected at all), can someone give me some advice on how to prepare the wiring? I.e. here are a few specifics: will a 120V circuit be good enough, or are there some garage door openers that use 240V? Does it get hardwired into the electrical system, or am I supposed to wire a receptacle box in the rafters for it to plug into (and if yes, does it have to have GFCI protection)? Should I put it on its own dedicated 15 amp circuit, or should I just put it on the same circuit(s) as the lights and receptacles? Will sharing the lighting circuit cause the lights to dim noticeably while the motor is running (and if yes, will putting them on separate circuits eliminate the flicker)?

Thanks in advance,
Moishe

tkrussell

As far as I know all residential units are 120 volt, and have only connected 240 volt units for large commercial units.

Install a receptacle at the motor location. Does not need, and should not be on a GFI circuit. If the GFI trip while you are out, you will stay out.

A separate circuit is not needed, they usually get tied into the outlet circuit, again not GFI protected. If tied into the lighting, you may see a brief flicker of the lights, but never been an issue before.

If you plan to a have a wall mounted hardwired push button(s), do not forget to run some low voltage 2 wire cable (we call it thermostat cable) from the button(s) location to the motor. On the unit you will find the terminals to connect a pushbutton operator to.

Before you actually purchase one and bring it home, open one at the store and read thru the installation instructions so that you konw exactly what you will need to do, and need to install .