"Also makes me wonder—does quieter necessarily mean slower to start in colder weather?"
That's an interesting thought. I've noticed something similar, actually. Last winter, I swapped out my old chain-driven opener for a belt-driven one because the noise was driving me nuts (and waking up my kids). It definitely got quieter, but I did notice it seemed a bit sluggish on those really cold mornings. At first, I assumed it was just the motor struggling, but after reading your experience, maybe it was the belt material itself stiffening up?
Now I'm curious if anyone's tried insulating their garage door or adding weather stripping around the edges. Could keeping the garage warmer overall help with these cold-weather slowdowns? Seems like that might be a budget-friendly way to tackle the issue without having to replace belts or motors again...
I've noticed the same sluggishness on cold mornings with my belt-driven opener, so you're definitely onto something there. Insulating the garage door helped a bit in my case—nothing dramatic, but noticeable enough to feel worthwhile. Plus, it made the garage more comfortable overall, which was a nice bonus. Might be worth trying before investing in anything pricier...
Insulating definitely helps—did it myself last winter and noticed a similar improvement. Also, have you checked the weather stripping around your garage door lately? Mine was pretty worn out, and replacing it made a surprising difference in noise and temperature control...might be worth a quick look?
Good point about the weather stripping—I hadn't thought to check mine yet. Honestly, I've always assumed the noise was just from the motor itself. Now I'm wondering if worn-out seals might be contributing more than I realized. Guess I'll add that to my weekend project list...seems like there's always something else to fix or improve around the house, doesn't it? Anyway, glad to hear insulation worked well for you too; it's encouraging knowing these small upgrades really do make a noticeable difference.
"Honestly, I've always assumed the noise was just from the motor itself."
I used to think the same thing until I swapped out my seals last summer—huge difference. It's surprising how much noise sneaks through worn-out weather stripping. Definitely worth checking before blaming the motor entirely...
