Don’t Get Squished By Your Garage Door

One of the most commonly overlooked maintenance items in the home, and a very common safety defect, is the garage door and opener.  The garage door assembly is the largest and heaviest moving object in the home.  If it is not in good working order and properly adjusted, it can pose a serious safety risk.  There are three basic safety features on your garage door that should periodically be tested, ideally once a month.

The first safety feature that should be checked is the safety reverse beam.  This light beam should be installed at about 6 inches from the floor, and should reverse the direction of the door when the beam is broken.  Be sure to refer to the installation instructions for proper mounting of this important safety feature.

The second safety feature that should be checked is the auto reverse.  This feature will reverse the direction of the door should it encounter resistance while in motion (both up and down).  This can be tested by placing an object in the path of the door or holding the door while in motion.  I prefer the holding method because a faulty auto reverse can do serious damage to the door (usually the top panel will bend or crack where it attaches to the opener).  If the opener fails this test, minor adjustments to the sensitivity setting on the opener will often resolve this issue.

The final safety feature on your garage door is the safety or counter balance spring.  This spring takes up the weight of the door and should not allow the door to fall when disconnected from the opener.  If this spring is damaged or incorrectly adjusted, the door can close with considerable force.  Serious injury or death can result if you, a child or a pet is struck by the door.  To test the spring, disconnect the door from the opener (while the door is in the closed position), open the door manually and see if it will remain balanced at the half open point.  Should your door fail this test, consult a professional to make repairs.  Counter balance springs are under tension and can cause serious injury if adjustments are attempted by an amateur.

If you have any questions regarding the operation of your garage door, feel free to call our office at  (480) 503-2611.