Garage door safety tips

Garage door safety tips: how to keep your family safe around the door

Your garage door is the largest moving object in your home. Most of what keeps it safe takes a few minutes a month and no tools. There are a few parts you should never touch: the springs, the cables and the brackets they bolt to. This page shows which is which, and where each rule comes from.“A garage door is the largest moving object in the home.”Source: DASMA

Jump to the monthly check

Every time the door moves

Watch the door until it is all the way down. Don’t press the button and walk away or drive off.“When closing your automatic garage door with a push button or a remote control transmitter, you should always watch the door until it completely closes.”Source: DASMA
Mount the wall button at least 5 feet from the nearest standing surface, where children can’t reach it, and away from the moving parts.“The wall-mounted push button should be out of reach of children, at least 5 feet from the nearest standing surface and away from all moving parts.”Source: DASMA
Keep the remotes where children can’t play with them.“For the reasons just mentioned, keep the remote controls for your openers where children cannot play with them.”Source: DASMA
Never switch off, tape over or unplug the safety sensors to make the door close. If they stop it, fix the sensors.“This required safety device MUST NOT be disabled.”Source: Chamberlain Group

Springs and cables can hurt you. Leave them to a technician.

If a spring is broken, stop using the door until it is replaced.“Springs and spring hardware are under high tension. If a spring is broken, do not operate the door until the spring is replaced.”Source: DASMA
Springs are a technician’s job. Never replace one yourself.“Replacement of springs on garage doors should only be performed by a trained door systems technician.”Source: DASMA
Leave the cables, brackets and anything they are bolted to alone as well. You look; a technician touches.“Do not try to remove, repair or adjust springs or any door parts or mounting surfaces, such as wood blocks, steel brackets, cables or other like items. Because of potential dangers involved, all repairs and adjustments must be performed by a trained door systems technician using proper tools and instructions.”Source: DASMA

Your monthly safety check

Do these five checks once a month, in this order. You need a 2x4 and a few quiet minutes. If any check fails, stop using the door and call a technician.“Make monthly inspection and testing of your garage door and opener system a part of your regular routine.”Source: DASMA

1. Look before you touch
With the door closed, look at the springs and cables. If a spring looks broken or a cable is frayed, stop here. Don’t run the door; call a technician.
“Springs and spring hardware are under high tension. If a spring is broken, do not operate the door until the spring is replaced.”Source: DASMA
2. Check the sensors
The two sensors by the floor should sit no higher than 6 inches up, face each other, and both show a steady light.
“Install the safety reversing sensor so beam is NO HIGHER than 6" (15 cm) above garage floor.”Source: Chamberlain Group“The lenses on both sensors should point toward each other.”Source: Chamberlain Group“The LEDs in both sensors will glow steadily if they are aligned and wired correctly.”Source: Chamberlain Group
3. Run the reverse test
Open the door. Lay a 1.5 inch object, or a 2x4 flat, on the floor in the middle of the opening. Close the door with the opener. It must reverse when it touches the board.
“Safety reversal system MUST be tested every month.”Source: Chamberlain Group“Garage door MUST reverse on contact with 1-1/2" (3.8 cm) high object (or a 2x4 laid flat) on the floor.”Source: Chamberlain Group
4. Check the balance
Skip this if a spring or cable looked broken in step 1. Otherwise, with the door closed, pull the release cord to free it from the opener. If the door feels heavy or takes two hands to lift, it is probably out of balance: stop and call a technician. If not, lift it 3 to 4 feet and let go. It should stay put. If it slams shut or shoots up, call a technician. Then reconnect the opener the way its manual shows.
“If your door feels heavy or requires two hands to open it, the door is probably out of balance and needs adjustment.”Source: DASMA“Lift the door 3-4 feet off the ground. Release the door. If balanced it should stay in place, supported entirely by its springs.”Source: Chamberlain Group“If the door slowly rises upwards or falls to the floor gently, this is acceptable. If the door slams shut or shoot upward with force, the door is out of balance. Contact a professional door technician.”Source: Chamberlain Group
5. Check the wall button
It should be at least 5 feet from the nearest standing surface, out of children’s reach, and away from the moving parts.
“The wall-mounted push button should be out of reach of children, at least 5 feet from the nearest standing surface and away from all moving parts.”Source: DASMA

Remotes and codes

If your remote has rolling code, its code changes after every use.“However, if your transmitter (the remote control) has rolling code technology, the code changes after every use.”Source: DASMA
If your opener has a lock mode, also called vacation mode, the opener ignores the remotes while it is on.“When Lock Mode (Vacation Mode) is enabled, the opener ignores remote control commands.”Source: Chamberlain Group
You can erase every remote and keypad code from the opener, then program back only the ones you want. Your opener’s manual shows how; on Chamberlain’s B980 you hold the LEARN button until its light goes out.“Press and hold the LEARN button on garage door opener until the learn LED goes out (approximately 6 seconds). All remote control and keyless entry codes are now erased. Reprogram any accessory you wish to use.”Source: Chamberlain Group

Questions homeowners ask

How high should garage door safety sensors be?

Low. Chamberlain’s B980 manual says the beam goes no higher than 6 inches above the garage floor. Genie says the lenses go at least 5 inches, but not more than 6 inches, from the floor.

“The beam lenses must be located at least 5 inches, but not more than 6 inches, from the floor.”Source: The Genie Company

How do I test my garage door’s auto reverse?

Open the door, lay a 1.5 inch high object, or a 2x4 flat, on the floor under the middle of the door, and close it with the opener. Chamberlain says the door must reverse on contact, and that the test should be done every month.

How often should I check my garage door?

Once a month. DASMA, the Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association, says to make monthly inspection and testing of the door and opener part of your routine.

How high should the garage door wall button be?

At least 5 feet from the nearest standing surface, out of children’s reach and away from all moving parts, according to DASMA.

Can I replace a garage door spring myself?

No. DASMA says spring replacement should only be done by a trained door systems technician. If a spring is broken, don’t run the door until it is replaced.

How do I know if my garage door is balanced?

With the door closed and nothing looking broken, pull the release cord, lift the door 3 to 4 feet and let go. Chamberlain says a balanced door stays in place, held by its springs. If it slams shut or shoots up, call a technician.

What to do next

Print the checklist and do the five checks today.
If the door won’t close or keeps reversing:How garage door safety sensors work
Want to go part by part?Walk through the 24 point inspection
If a check failed, find a technician near you below.

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