 Home Safety GARAGE DOOR OPENERS The safety switches on garage door openers should be checked regularly, especially if there are young children or pets in or near the home. To check the safety, start by operating the switch to bring the door down. Put your hands under the door and push-up against the bottom edge. The door should offer very little resistance and immediately reverse. If the door continues to close or you have to use a lot of strength before it reverses, the downward pressure knob/screw needs adjustment. Adjust the knob by turning it in the direction marked "less downward force". Reduce the force until such time as the door will not go down, then increase the pressure until such time as the door will close. This setting is the minimum amount of pressure needed to operate the door, and the safest setting in this position the door should reverse easily if any obstruction is encountered. This operation involves pressing the button to operate the door after every adjustment of the knob. Do not adjust the downward TRAVEL knob - this regulates the where the door stops and not the pressure. Some openers do not have a knob or screw - check the rear of the unit and a treaded bar with a screw driver slot and a nut (often plastic) are visible. In many openers this nut regulates the pressure and adjusting it can change the sensitivity of the opener. If the door opener needs to exert a lot of pressure to get the door to close, the door or its tracks may need adjustment or lubrication. (do not use regular grease - a special non dripping grease is available from garage door opener supply stores) Note: Safety devices that stop the door from closing if the beam is broken can be mounted on either side of the door frame six to eight inches from the ground. These safety switches can be retrofitted to older model garage door openers for an added level of safety. If you have one of the older style garage door openers that do not have the new auto reverse safety features, it would be a good idea to have a new opener installed. | Welcome to BIS | About BIS | Home Inspections | Get Started | Technical FAQ | Contact us |
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