Electrical & safety
Test the garage-door opener safety systems
An automatic garage door is a heavy moving system. Monthly photo-eye and reversal tests help confirm the opener will respond when an obstruction is present.
Recommended timingEvery month; professional service as needed
What to do
- Read the opener and door manuals, remove vehicles and people from the path, and inspect the door, tracks, rollers, hinges, cables and springs visually without touching tensioned parts.
- Block the photo-eye beam while closing the door; the door should not close. Confirm the sensors remain aligned and mounted no more than six inches above the floor when the manufacturer specifies that arrangement.
- Place a solid 1 1/2-inch-high test object flat beneath the door and close it. The door should contact the object and automatically reverse according to the opener instructions.
- Use the manual release only as the manufacturer directs and only when the door is fully closed. Keep wall controls and remotes away from children.
- Inspect the bottom and perimeter weather seals for gaps, brittleness or tearing, and replace them with parts compatible with the exact door without changing spring tension or door travel limits.
- Test exterior keypads and remotes, replace batteries when range or response declines or the manual calls for it, and remove access from lost remotes according to the opener instructions.
- Have a qualified garage-door technician correct failed tests, imbalance, binding, damaged panels or components and recurring opener force problems.
Never adjust or remove torsion springs, extension springs, cables, bottom brackets or other tensioned hardware. These parts can cause severe injury or death.
Official guidance and sources
Product instructions and local requirements take priority for the equipment or material installed at your home.