Garage door safety

Springs. DASMA calls springs arguably the most important and most dangerous part of the door, and states plainly that spring systems should be repaired only by trained professionals. Extension springs should have safety cables running through them so that a break is contained rather than sending the spring across the garage. If yours do not, that is worth asking a technician about. Nothing on this site will tell you how to adjust or wind a spring, because there is no safe way to write that instruction for a homeowner.

Entrapment protection. Under UL 325's third edition, effective for residential openers from January 1, 1993, openers must reverse when the door contacts an obstruction, and nearly all use photo-electric eyes mounted no higher than six inches off the floor. That six-inch height exists because the injuries that produced the rule involved small children and pets. Never disable, bypass, or raise those sensors.

The monthly tests. Run the contact-reverse test by placing a solid object such as a roll of paper towels flat on the floor in the door's path and closing the door; it should reverse on contact. Run the photo-eye test by breaking the beam with an object while the door is closing; it should reverse. If either test fails, stop using the opener until it is fixed.

The balance test. With the door closed, pull the emergency release cord to disconnect the opener, then lift the door manually about halfway. A balanced door stays roughly where you put it. If it slams down or shoots up, the springs are out of balance — that is a professional repair, and DASMA notes an out-of-balance spring system causes premature wear on other components.

Finally, keep the wall control out of children's reach, never let anyone walk or run under a moving door, and keep fingers away from between the door sections when operating it manually.

How to choose

Test the reversal features monthly

Both the contact reverse and the photo eyes. A failed test means the door stays manual until a technician fixes it.

Do the balance test, don't fix the balance

Testing is homeowner work. Adjusting spring tension is not — DASMA is explicit that spring systems are for trained professionals only.

Check for extension-spring safety cables

Extension springs should have containment cables running through them. Ask your technician if you cannot see them.

Never bypass the photo eyes

They exist because of crush injuries to children and pets. A misbehaving sensor is a repair, not an inconvenience to route around.

Keep the remote and wall button away from kids

Mount the wall control out of reach and treat remotes as tools, not toys.