There are reports every year in Texas of people suffering serious injury or death from being hit by or trapped underneath a garage door. Action Garage Door professionally installs garage door systems that are easy to maintain and have the latest safety features so that our customers can eliminate such accidents.
We have compiled a few key safety rules to protect your family and friends from potential harm.
Be sure to read your garage door and opener owner’s manual for specific information about your installation.
- Take time to look over our safety recommendations, below. Some of the following precautions are labeled with a yellow “Safety Alert Symbol” to indicate a potential safety hazard that can result in injury or death. Pay special attention to these warnings!
.Safety Tips for Garage Doors & Openers
- Garage door openers are not toys. Do not let children play with or use the transmitters or remote controls. Place and store transmitters and remotes out of childrens reach.
- Never stand or walk under a moving door. Do not let children or adults try to “beat the door.” The “game” of trying to run under the garage door before it closes can result in serious injury or death.
- Know how to use the garage door emergency release in case someone is pinned by the garage door.
- Mount the push-button wall control where it cannot be reached by children (at least five feet from the floor) and away from all moving parts.
- Always mount and use the garage door opener control button where you can clearly see the moving garage door. When using the push-button or transmitter, keep the door in sight until it completely stops moving.
- Teach your children about garage door and opener safety. Teach them never to play under or near an open garage door. Explain the danger of being trapped under the door.
- Teach adults and children to keep hands and fingers clear of section joints, hinges, track, springs and other door parts. Contact with a moving door or its hardware could cause serious injury. These injuries can also happen with garage doors that don’t have automatic openers.
- Take a few minutes to inspect and test your complete garage door system. Make monthly inspection and testing a regular routine. Consult owner’s manuals for additional recommended maintenance for your specific garage door and opener models.
Test & Maintain Your Garage Door Opener
There are several important safety and maintenance procedures that you should follow once a month. Review your owner’s manual for your specific garage door opener. If you don’t have the owner’s manual, look for the opener model number on the back of the power unit and request a manual from the manufacturer.
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 Action Garage Door for additional information.
Test the reversing feature every month using these steps:
- Test the garage door balance as explained below. 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.
If the door does not reverse, have it repaired or replaced by a qualified technician at Action Garage Door. We can inspect the garage door and opener to determine whether it needs to be adjusted, repaired or replaced.
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.
Visual Garage Door Inspection
Look over the garage door springs, cables, rollers, pulleys, and other door hardware for signs of wear. Our Action Garage Door technicians can make repairs if there are suspected problems. WARNING: Springs, cables, brackets and other hardware attached to the springs are under high tension. Only qualified persons should adjust them. Do not attempt to repair or adjust torsion springs yourself.
A restraining cable or other device should be installed on the extension spring (the spring along the side of the garage door) to help contain the spring if it breaks. Never remove, adjust or loosen the screws on the bottom brackets of the door. These brackets are connected to the spring by the lift cable and are under extreme tension.
Garage Door Lubrication
Regularly lubricate the all moving parts on the garage door. However, do not lubricate plastic parts such as plastic rollers or plastic idler bearings. Consult the garage door owner’s manual for manufacturer’s recommendations.
Garage Door Balance
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.
Additional Safety Devices
Many garage door openers can be equipped with additional safety devices. Consider adding a photo eye or edge sensor as an extra measure of safety to protect against people or animals becoming trapped underneath the garage door.
Keep in mind, however, adding more safety devices will not make an outdated old garage door opener meet the current U.L. safety standards. Make sure that any additional safety devices, such as photo eyes or edge sensors, are properly installed and adjusted (see your owners various manuals).
Action Garage Door Repair Specialists Are Ready to Earn Your Business!
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