We installed the residential Genie 3120 garage door opener with belt-drive, battery backup, and Aladdin Connect for WiFi connectivity and control. Users desiring similar features at a lower price point can opt for the Genie SilentMax Connect 3053 garage door opener. The connectivity features are identical, so this review can help you understand both how models offer enhanced connectivity.
Genie 3120 Garage Door Opener Features
The Genie 3120 garage door opener uses a DC motor. That means you don’t really see a horsepower rating. It has a soft start/stop which helps lowers noise and doesn’t jerk the door when the opener starts. You can go with the base chain drive, but we opted for the upgraded belt drive. It has steel throughout for strength, and the opener runs very quietly.
Genie shipped the unit with a battery backup system. In the event of a power outage, your garage door will still open for 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” watches for obstructions as the garage door closes. If something gets in the way, the door reverses operation immediately.
You also get two light sockets—one on each side of the opener. While you can use standard 60W incandescent bulbs for these, Genie does make a special LED bulb—see more on that below.
The Genie 3120 is HomeLink and Car2U-compatible without the need for an external repeater or bridge. Possibly the coolest included feature is Aladdin Connect. This lets you remotely monitor and control your garage door from anywhere using your smartphone or tablet. You can have the door close automatically after a set period of time and set up user accounts to provide limited or total access. The system works similarly to the Ryobi Garage Door opener but with a lot more user-based control and it supports a larger number of openers.
Genie Garage Door Opener Installation
Installing the Genie 3120 garage door opener typically gets handled by an installer. We utilized the crew from S&S Garage Doors, Inc. They’ve been installing garage doors for longer than many people have been opening them.
In terms of the process, it couldn’t be simpler. After securing the opener to the one-piece C-channel rail, the three installers went to work on the remaining tasks.
Locking Down the Opener
One installer placed the Series II wall console by the house door. An internal red LED lights up so you can see it in the dark. That light also lets you know the opener 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 by the wall console or a remote.
Safe-T-Beam System
The other two installers began running the wiring for the Safe-T-Beam System sensors near the bottom of the garage door. Once powered up they light up red and green and monitor for physical obstructions any time the door enters the closing cycle.
They used a manual stapler to secure the wiring with round-head staples. I had a Milwaukee M12 crown stapler nearby, but unfortunately, it’s a T50 style and doesn’t support the types of staples they favor. Interestingly, the new Ryobi 18V One+ stapler has an attachment that spaces square-head staples for use with wiring applications like this.
A two-man process hangs the garage door opener and ensures the unit is level. Before securing, the door is connected to the pull arm.
Next, the installers connected the final wiring run for the eye sensors to the opener before plugging in the unit. Light bulbs and covers went in next as well as the battery backup module.
Finally, Shawn from S & S Garage Doors set the high and low travel ranges, ensuring the garage door opened and closed properly.
Moving Outside
Once everything tested out, we added the exterior keypad and placed the already-programmed remote controls in the vehicles.
The system includes the wall console and two vehicle remotes. Genie also makes an optional 4-button universal remote control that you can program to control everything from garage door openers to gate receivers. This includes models from other brands. It can go on your keychain or affix to the visor of a vehicle.
The Genie SilentMax Connect Consumer Option
If you have a familiarity with garage door openers and want to install it yourself, The Home Depot can help. The Genie SilentMax Connect garage door opener runs less than $200 and mirrors most of the features of the 3120 we installed. It features Aladdin Connect, supports two light bulbs, and includes the same accessories. That means you get the Safe-T-Beam system, two remotes, Series II wall console, and support for both HomeLink and Car2U.
Genie claims the system is quick and easy to install. Because the unit includes a rigid 5-piece tube rail system, it fits within a small package you can bring home in any vehicle. It requires no assembly hardware and includes preprogrammed remotes that work as soon as you power up the opener. This system also uses a steel-reinforced belt drive powered by a quiet 3/4 HP DC motor. It supports residential sectional garage doors up to 7 feet tall and weighing less than 500 pounds. You also get a limited lifetime motor warranty.
Using the Genie 3120 Garage Door Opener and Conclusion
Normally, we have a lot to say about the products we review. In this case, the Genie 3120 garage door opener simply works. We thought the Ryobi garage door opener operated quietly. This Genie has even less output. We measured just 57-62 dB(A) SPL while standing at the interior entryway and activating the opener. The door gets even quieter if you replace your steel rollers with nylon (ours uses steel).
Genie LED Light Bulbs
During installation, we learned that common LED and CFL light bulbs can limit the range of garage door openers. This occurs when they emit radio frequencies that collide or peak alongside the same frequencies broadcast by your opener remote. If you’ve upgraded your garage door opener to use LED light bulbs and noticed a reduction in remote control range, this may be the issue.
To solve the problem, Genie worked to develop an LED bulb that creates very little frequency interference. They also tested the bulb to withstand up to 5G of shaking force. That means the minor vibrations caused by the opener shouldn’t affect the life of the bulb. Finally, they made it damp-rated and suitable for use in temperatures down to -22ºF (-30ºC).
The bulbs themselves are 60W replacements that run at 10W and produce 800 lumens of light output each. Genie estimates they should last 25,000 hours and cost around $1.07/year to operate.
Aladdin Connect App
We downloaded the free Aladdin Connect app for iOS. We then configured the software by pressing a single 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.
Predictably, Aladdin connect lets us open and close the door using a smartphone. What you may not realize, however, is that it also allows for “rules”. These rules let you set the door to remain closed during certain hours of the day or days of the week. You can set a rule to automatically close an open garage door after a set time of day. We set ours to close automatically at 10 PM if left open. You can also set it to close automatically if left open for too long—say three hours.
This flexible programming, along with shared user access, makes Aladdin Connect a very powerful app for managing your garage doors. It also integrates with Alexa for voice control. Finally, the app has excellent resources for accessing customer service or viewing an installation video.
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, the apparent build quality, features, and warranty Genie provides instills plenty of confidence. We love how quiet this opener does its job. Even though our last opener used a belt system, the 3120 still sounds much quieter. We also like the functionality of the Aladdin Connect App—particularly how we can set schedule- and action-based rules.
It’s easy to recommend this opener. Whether you go with a professional installer or you pick up the DIY SilentMax model at The Home Depot, you can’t really go wrong.
For more information on the Genie Model 3120 click here.
To check out the Genie SilentMax Connect opener, click here.
