We installed a residential Genie 3120 garage door opener with belt drive, battery backup, and an Aladdin Connect for WiFi connectivity and control. Users looking for similar features at a lower price can opt for the Genie SilentMax Connect 3053 Garage Door Opener. The connectivity features are the same, so this review can help you understand how both models offer enhanced connectivity.
The Genie 3120 garage door opener uses a DC motor. This means you can't actually see the horsepower rating. It has a soft start/stop feature that helps reduce noise and doesn't yank the door when the opener activates. You can use a basic chain drive, but we opted for an upgraded belt drive. It uses steel throughout for strength, and the corkscrew runs very quietly.
Genie has equipped the unit with a battery backup system. In the event of a power outage, your garage door can still be opened up to 50 times using the battery. In Florida, where hurricanes (and thus power outages) pose a real threat, this offers some real convenience.
Standard features on the Genie 3120 garage door opener include the Safe-T-Beam non-contact reversing system. This "electronic eye" monitors for obstructions when the garage door is closed. If something is in the way, the door will immediately reverse operation.
You also get two light holders – one on each side of the corkscrew. While you can use standard 60W incandescent bulbs for these, Genie does make a special LED bulb – see below for more info.
The Genie 3120 is HomeLink and Car2U compatible and requires no external repeaters or bridges. Probably the coolest feature is Aladdin Connect. This allows you to remotely monitor and control your garage door from anywhere with your smartphone or tablet. You can have the door close automatically after a certain period of time, and set up user accounts to provide limited or full access. The system works similar to the Ryobi garage door opener, but has more user-based controls, and it supports a greater number of openers.
Genie Garage Door Opener Installation
Installing a Genie 3120 garage door opener is usually handled by an installer. We employ the staff of S&S Garage Doors, Inc. It has taken them longer to install their garage door than it takes many people to open it.
As far as the process goes, it couldn't be simpler. After securing the openers to the one-piece C-slot rails, three installers did the rest.
lock opener
An installer places a Series II wall-mounted console by the door of a house. The interior red LED lights up so you can see it in the dark. The light also lets you know the corkscrew mode. When you activate the Sure-Lock switch, it disables the light. When Sure-Lock is on and the door is closed, the garage door opener cannot be activated from the wall console or remote.
Safety T-beam system
Two other installers began wiring the Safe-T-Beam system sensor near the base of the garage door. Once powered, they illuminate red and green and monitor for physical obstructions as the door goes through its closing cycle.
They use a hand stapler to secure the wiring with round head staples. I have a Milwaukee M12 Crown stapler near me, but unfortunately it is a T50 style and does not support the type of staples they prefer. Interestingly, the new Ryobi 18V One+ stapler has an attachment that can space square-head staples for wiring applications like this.
A two-person process hangs the garage door opener and ensures the unit is level. Before fixing, the door is attached to the pull arm.
Next, the installer connects the eye sensor's final wiring to the opener before plugging in the unit. Next comes the bulb and cover and the backup battery module.
Finally, Shawn from S & S Garage Doors set up the high and low travel ranges to ensure the garage doors opened and closed properly.
move outside
Once everything was tested, we added the external keypad and placed the programmed remote in the vehicle.
The system includes a wall console and two vehicle remote controls. Genie also makes an optional 4-button universal remote that you can program to control everything from garage door openers to door receivers. This includes models from other brands. It can be attached to your key chain or attached to the sun visor of your vehicle.
Genie SilentMax Connect Consumer Options
If you're familiar with garage door openers and want to install them yourself, Home Depot can help. The Genie SilentMax Connect garage door opener costs less than $200 and mirrors most of the features of the 3120 we installed. It features Aladdin Connect, supports two bulbs, and includes the same accessories. That means you get a Safe-T-Beam system, two remotes, a Series II wall console, and support for HomeLink and Car2U.
Genie claims the system is quick and easy to install. Because the unit includes a rigid 5-piece tube and rail system, it fits in a small package that you can take home with any vehicle. It requires no hardware to assemble, includes a pre-programmed remote, and works as soon as you open the corkscrew. The system also uses a reinforced belt drive driven by a quiet 3/4 HP DC motor. It supports residential sectional garage doors up to 7 feet and weighing less than 500 lbs. You also get a limited lifetime motor warranty.
Using the Genie 3120 Garage Door Opener and Conclusions
Usually, we have a lot to say about the products we review. In this case, the Genie 3120 garage door opener will work just fine. We think the Ryobi garage door opener runs quietly. The output of this sprite is even less. When we stood at the interior entrance and activated the opener, we measured an SPL of only 57-62 dB(A). If you swap out the steel rollers for nylon (we used steel), the door will be much quieter.
Genie LED Bulb
During installation, we learned that common LED and CFL bulbs can limit the range of your garage door opener. This happens when the radio frequency they emit collides or peaks with the same frequency your remote is broadcasting. If you upgraded your garage door opener to use LED bulbs and notice the remote has reduced range, this could be the problem.
To solve this problem, Genie worked to develop an LED light bulb that produced very few frequency disturbances. They also tested that the bulbs could withstand shock forces of up to 5G. This means that slight vibrations caused by the corkscrew should not affect the life of the bulb. Finally, they gave it a moisture-resistant finish for use in temperatures as low as -22ºF (-30ºC).
The bulbs themselves are 60W replacements that run at 10W and produce 800 lumens of light output per bulb. Genie estimates they should last 25,000 hours and cost about $1.07 per year to run.
Aladdin Connect App
We downloaded the free Aladdin Connect app for iOS. We then configured the software by pressing a blue WiFi button on the side of the opener and following the app prompts. In just a few minutes, the system found our WiFi network.
As expected, Aladdin connect allowed us to open and close the door using our smartphone. However, what you may not realize is that it also allows for "rules". These rules allow you to set doors to stay closed at specific times of the day or days of the week. You can set rules to automatically close open garage doors after a set time of day. If it's on, we set it to turn off automatically at 10pm. You can also set it to turn off automatically if it's left on for an extended period of time, say three hours.
This flexible programming along with shared user access makes Aladdin Connect a very powerful application for managing your garage doors. It also integrates with Alexa for voice control. Finally, the app has excellent resources for accessing customer service or watching installation videos.
in conclusion
Whether you need to install a residential garage door opener like the Model 3120, or one of the consumer models like the SilentMax Connect, Genie offers the build quality, features and warranty you'll feel confident in. We love how quiet this corkscrew works. Even though our last opener used a belt system, the 3120 still sounded much quieter. We also like the functionality of the Aladdin Connect app – especially how we can set up schedule-based and action-based rules.
It's easy to recommend this starter. Whether you hire a professional installer or buy a DIY SilentMax model at The Home Depot, you can't go wrong.
For more information on the Genie Model 3120, click here.
To view the Genie SilentMax Connect opener, click here.