GENIE COMPANY ISD990-2 "EXCELERATOR" GARAGE DOOR OPENER 1/2 HP Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Genie Excelerator 1/2-Horsepower DC Screw Drive Garage Door Opener #ISD990
I installed one of these openers on our 7' high x 16' wide garage door in 2003.
Pros:
- After a power outage, the door raises VERY slowly, but otherwise, it takes just over 5 seconds.
- The infrared "safety beam sensors" at the garage door bottom were very susceptible to damage, being out in the open, so I protected them as shown in Customer Images.
- This opener has worked reliably for eight years (except as noted below).
- If I press the opener in my car when entering our 55' long driveway, the door is open by the time I get to the garage.
Cons:
- After about a year, the door would only go up a couple of feet, then stop. The 3-piece aluminum rail, which is a major weakness of this product, had been oscillating as the door rose; i.e., it would bounce up and down quite a bit. The rail just isn't strong enough. As a result, the rail sections eventually sagged where they join, and the screw drive sometimes didn't make contact due to that "bounce". The problem was solved by my installing mid-point bracing, which stabilized the rail so that it doesn't vibrate. See Customer Images.
- After 2 years, the "security" slide switch on the wall console stopped working. I called Genie and without asking how the switch was used, they said it was designed for vacations only, and not to be used on a daily basis. They've apparently had lots of switch failures due to "over use". However, Genie sent a free replacement wall "console", which includes that switch. After talking with them, I took the old console apart, and found a broken solder connection. I resoldered it, and that old switch is still working. I now have a spare console.
Other:
- If a garage door spring breaks, pull the door's rip cord to release the stain on the lifting mechanism, and have someone keep the door from slamming down if it's partially up. Forcing the opener to try to open a door with a broken spring could permanently bend or twist the aluminum drive bar, strip the gears, etc.
- If you have problems with the door getting stuck on the way up, liberally spread lithium grease on the drive screw. You should do that anyway, yearly.
Summary:
With mid-point bracing of the rail, I'd give it 3.5 stars; rounded up to 4. Without that bracing, since a customer shouldn't have to reinforce a new product, it's a 1 star device.
August 2010 update:
The Excelerator started making a loud metallic noise as the carriage passed between the first and second screw-drive sections, while the door was being opened. I ordered a new Genie carriage for screw drive openers. A week after the first noise, with the door 3' off the floor, the carriage made a very loud whirring sound - then the entire door came thundering down with a loud bang. (The door is "balanced", in that it will stay put at the half-way point by itself with the carriage disconnected.) Good thing no living thing was under all that weight. The screw-threads in the carriage were completely stripped. The new carriage works fine. Based on our usage, the Genie opened / closed the garage door between 3,000 and 5,000 times.

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