June is Garage Door Safety Month. Check out our safety tips for your garage door!
Inspect for properly installed photo eyes
Check the sides of your garage door for properly installed photo eyes (black sensors) mounted no higher than 6 inches off the floor. One eye should be amber (sender) and the other one should be green (receiver). Block the photo eyes with an object over 6 inches tall and press the garage door opener’s close button. The door should not close and lights will blink on opener head.
One in fifteen garage doors and openers may lack the latest safety features. To be UL 325 compliant, the garage door opener has evolved to be equipped with mandatory safety features (e.g. photo eyes). This safety feature is essential to saving lives and preventing harm to any person or pet using the garage door or crossing underneath it.
Check the condition of your garage door cables
Thoroughly inspect the status of the cables that attach the spring system to the bottom brackets on both sides of your garage door. Cables can become rusted and/or frayed, causing them to break, which can result in injury. If your cables are rusted or frayed, have a professional technician replace them. High spring tension makes it very dangerous for an untrained person to replace the cables themselves.
Use care in pulling the garage door down by hand
Despite having a garage door opener, manual usage may sometimes be necessary. Year after year homeowners tend to injure themselves by pulling the garage door down and catching their fingers between the panels. When you need to manually close the garage door, take care to use the lift handles or gripping spots on the inside and outside of the door. Using the gripping points or handles will help avoid any injury to fingers.
Have your garage door inspected annually
Every garage door has different safety instructions unique to the model. Have your garage door owner’s manual readily available in case of a broken part or door. You can also use Amega Garage Doors as a troubleshooting source whenever you need assistance.
Perform a garage door safety test
To ensure your garage door safety reverse system is working, and your photo eyes are working, perform a garage door safety test. This test will ensure that the garage door will not close completely should something be under the door. Watch this LiftMaster Safety Check Video on how to complete the test.
Garage door safety in Des Moines, Iowa
You should almost always call an experienced technician to repair or replace your door or parts. Amega fully stocks each service van with a variety of replacement parts, including garage door springs. Our technicians are fully trained and have 15 or more years of experience each. Contact Amega Garage Doors for all of your garage door or opener repair needs.