Give All Access Garage Doors a Call at 1-866-505-5625 and we can have on of our trained, friendly, and professional service technicians sent out to you today to assess any problems you may be having with your garage door!
Garage door safety tips
- Mount the garage door opener control button out of the reach of small children (at least five feet from the floor) and where you have a clear view of the door.
- Do not let children play with garage door remote controls; explain that the remote controls are not toys.
- Set a good example for children and discuss garage door safety with them; explain how to operate the door safely.
- Test your garage door opener’s reversing mechanism monthly by placing a 2 x 4 board in the door’s path. If the door does not reverse after contacting the object, call us so we may send out one of our technicians to repair the opener. This is a serious safety issue and should be addressed immediatly
- Know how to use your garage door opener’s emergency release feature. Your owner’s manual provides instructions.
- Visually inspect your garage door each month. Look at the garage door’s springs, cables, rollers and pulleys for signs of wear. If any of these components appear damaged, contact us and we will send a technician out to inspect your door!
- Do not attempt to repair cables or springs. These parts are under high tension and require special tools for adjustment. Improper handling or disconnection can cause breakage and serious injury. Leave this to the professionals!
- To avoid damage to your door and/or opener, make sure you disable and/or remove any door locks, ropes, and/or cables prior to operating your opener.
- Use the release mechanism on the garage door opener to manually open the door using its interior or exterior lift handles. The door should lift smoothly with little resistance and should stay open around three or four feet above the floor. If it is difficult to perform this task, your door may be out of balance, causing premature wear. Give us a call and we can perform maintenance on your door to re-balance it!
- To prevent accidents when a garage door is closing, invest in a garage door opener that features photoelectric eye safety beams, which are mounted a few inches off the floor and send an invisible beam across the door’s path. If the invisible beam is broken, the garage door will automatically reverse to its fully open position. The invisible beam provides added safety to the auto reverse mechanism, as the door does not have to contact an object in order to reverse.
Garage Door Balance Test
Periodically test the balance of your garage door. Start with the door closed and follow these easy steps:
- If you have a garage door opener, use the release mechanism so you can operate the door by hand when doing this test.
- You should be able to lift the garage door smoothly with little resistance.
- Once lifted, the garage door should stay open at approximately three to four feet above the floor.
- If the garage door does not stay open, it needs to be adjusted by a qualified garage door technician.
Garage Door Reversal Test
Make sure your garage door opener has a reversing feature. If a reversing feature is not present, it should be replaced. All garage door openers manufactured after January 1, 1993, are required by federal law to have advanced safety features that comply with the latest U.L. 325 standards. Contact your manufacturer or installer at American Service Center Garage Door Solutions for additional information.
Test the reversing feature every month using these steps:
- Test the garage door balance as explained above. If the door is properly balanced, then proceed.
- With the door fully open, place a 1-1/2-inch piece of wood (a two-by-four-inch block laid flat) on the floor in the center of the door.
- Push the transmitter or wall button to close the door. The door must reverse when it strikes the wood.
- Note that the bottom part of one-piece garage doors must be rigid so that the door will not close without reversing.
Garage Door Force Setting Test
Test the force setting of your garage door opener by holding the bottom of the door as it closes. If the garage door does not reverse readily, the force may be excessive and need adjusting. See your owner's manual for details on how to make the adjustment or call your local Dallas or Austin area Action Garage Door professional. Always test the reversing feature after any adjustment.Garage Door Security
- While on vacation or away from home for extended periods of time, unplug the garage door opener unit or if you have an Overhead Door® use a vacation lock on the wall console switch, which is an optional accessory for Overhead Door® garage door openers.
- Consider purchasing a garage door opener with rolling code technology, which changes the access codes each time the transmitter is used to prevent code grabbing.
- Wireless keypads, which activate the garage door opener with a personal identification number (PIN), allows family members to open the door without the use of a key or remote. Never disclose the PIN or leave it written down.
- Never leave the remote control in the car or with a parking attendant. It should be treated like a house key.
- Always lock the door from the garage to the inside of your home for greater safety and security.
- Check to make sure your garage door is closed when you lock your entry doors at night.
Give All Access Garage Doors a Call at 1-866-505-5625 and we can have on of our trained, friendly, and professional service technicians sent out to you today to assess any problems you may be having with your garage door!
Garage door safety tips
