Garage Door Safety Check: Ensuring Your Auto-Reverse Feature Works
When should you test your auto-reverse mechanism?
Your garage door is probably the largest moving object in your home. It’s also got enough force to cause serious injury or even death should you get caught under the force of it closing. That’s what makes a properly functioning auto-reverse feature so important and why you should test it regularly. Experts suggest you should test your auto-reverse mechanism monthly (every 30 days or so) to ensure that everything is working properly.
How to test your auto-reverse mechanism
There are a couple of components in an auto-reverse mechanism that you should look for. These are the opener motor, the infrared sensor, and the door itself.
Opener motor
The opener motor is the first line of defense if something or someone is caught by the garage door. If it senses a certain level of resistance, the motor will reverse the door. You can check your garage door’s opener motor to see if excessive pressure is needed to auto-reverse. If excessive pressure is needed, then the motor is considered “inoperative.”
Infrared sensor
Sensors are installed about 4” to 6” above the floor on each side of the garage door. If an object blocks the path of the infrared the garage door opener won’t activate. If the door is operating, it’ll reverse immediately. Garage doors will act oddly if the sensors are experiencing problems, allowing you to troubleshoot the issue.
The garage door
To test your garage door you’ll first want to make sure the door is balanced. You can do this by releasing the “quick release” mechanism. A well-balanced door will remain in any place when stopped in any position. If your door is unbalanced, it should only be reset by a professional, as trying to do it yourself could cause injury.
Auto-reverse mechanism test
You can test the auto-reverse mechanism yourself. You can do this by placing a 2x4 piece of wood flat on the garage floor underneath the pathway of the garage door. If the door doesn’t automatically reverse when it comes into contact with the 2x4, your opener has to be adjusted.
The good news is that most openers have a closing-force adjustment component on the main motor housing. If your door can’t be adjusted, then it’s time to get a new opener motor.
Golden Home Management
Keeping up with your home maintenance checklist can take a lot of work and time. Sometimes it feels like there’s not enough hours in the day or hands to help tackle everything that needs to be done. That’s where Golden Home Management comes in. Our dedicated team of Home Coordinators can tackle your maintenance requirements for you, so you can get back to doing the things you really enjoy—like actually enjoying your home. Call us today to schedule your FREE home assessment so we can craft the perfect maintenance plan for you.