Garage doors are safety hazards, plain and simply. Because of their significant weight and proximity in the home, the chances of injury from crushing are very real. That is why automatic garage door openers manufactured after January 1, 1993, are required by federal law to have an integrated reversing mechanism and a photo eye sensor to prevent entrapment. This important safety feature senses when there is something in the path of the door. It stops the door and then reverses it. This protects you, your family or your car from accidental injury or damage.
Regularly testing the reversing mechanism of your garage door is a smart practice.
Despite this regulation, nearly 20,000 garage door related injuries are reported to the Consumer Product Safety Commission each year. Many of them are preventable by these safety features. However, they only work if your safety features are configured correctly. And testing the reversing mechanism of your garage door is the only way to ensure that this important safety feature is working. If your opener does not have this feature, you should replace the equipment.
Time for a test…
To test the reversing mechanism of your garage door, place a brick or piece of wood on the floor in the path of your garage door. Try to place this object as close to the center of the garage door opening to avoid causing balance issues.
When you push your garage door opener’s transmitter or wall button to close the door, it should strike this object and automatically reopen. If this does not happen, you should replace your opener or have the door serviced by a trained technician.
If you decide that you do need a garage door service professional, or even a new garage door, we hope you’ll Contact Custom Door & Gate.