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Garage Door Safety :: Garage Door Opener Safety
FOR GARAGE DOOR OPENERS
Here are some helpful safety tips. This list is not intended
to be a comprehensive list of every safety precaution. Always
consult your manufacturer’s installation or instruction
manual for safety information about your model.
1. Do It Yourself? Installing a garage door opener is generally
easier and safer than installing a garage door. But improper
installation can create a hazardous situation. DASMA recommends
that a trained door system technician install your opener. If
you do it yourself, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s
instructions carefully.
2. Not in Sight? Not Safe! When closing your automatic garage
door with a push button or a remote control transmitter, you
should always watch the door until it completely closes. Reason:
Make sure no person or animal gets caught under a closing door.
Take a few seconds to be safe.
3. Do You Have a Reinforcement Bracket? Some do-it-yourselfers
neglect to install an opener reinforcement bracket to the top
section of the door. Failure to do so can damage your door. Do-it-yourselfers
should check the installation manual for specific instructions.
4. Get a More Powerful Opener? If your door feels heavy or
requires two hands to open it, the door is probably out of balance
and needs adjustment. A variety of problems can cause this, and
if you try to fix it yourself, you could get hurt. Call a local
trained door systems technician to diagnose the problem and offer
a solution. The answer is not a more powerful garage door opener.
Openers are designed to open doors that are properly balanced.
5. Sensitivity Training. Garage door openers are designed to
reverse direction when a descending garage door meets an obstruction.
If your door does not reverse readily after contacting an obstruction,
the opener’s sensitivity adjustment may be set improperly.
This can create a dangerous situation. See your owner’s
manual for how to adjust your opener’s sensitivity. DASMA
recommends that a trained door systems technician perform this
work.
6. Safety Reverse. Since 1993, all openers manufactured for
the U.S. must include a second safety reversing feature such
as photoelectric eyes. These are installed near the floor. Once
the invisible beam is broken, the door reverses automatically.
If your opener lacks a similar safety reversing feature, it’s
time to get a new opener.
7. The Six-Inch Rule. The photo eyes mentioned above should
not be installed higher than six inches above the garage floor.
If the eyes are installed higher, a person or pet could get under
the beam and not be detected by the photo eyes.
8. The Five-Foot Rule. The wall push button for your garage
door opener should be mounted at least five feet above the floor,
out of the reach of children. Running under a closing door can
be a deadly game. Teach your children never to play with opening
and closing the door.
9. Do You Know Where Your Remote Controls Are? For the reasons
just mentioned, keep the remote controls for your openers where
children cannot play with them. Warn children of the dangers
of playing with the garage door. For security reasons, be sure
to keep your remote controls locked up. If you park a car outside
your garage, be sure to lock your car so that potential burglars
cannot access your remote control and gain easy access to your
garage.
10. Rolling Codes. Some thieves are able to "record" your
transmitter’s signal. Later, after you’re gone, they
replay that signal and open your door. However, if your transmitter
(the remote control) has rolling code technology, the code changes
after every use. This renders the thieves' controls useless.
Contact your garage door opener manufacturer or your local garage
door dealer for more information.
FOR GARAGE DOOR OPENERS
Here are some helpful safety tips. This list is not intended
to be a comprehensive list of every safety precaution. Always
consult your manufacturer’s installation or instruction
manual for safety information about your model.
1. Replace Old Springs. Your garage door’s springs are
arguably the most important and most dangerous part of your door.
Springs wear out. When they break, injury can result. If you
have an older garage door, have your springs inspected by a professional
technician and replaced if needed. If your door has two springs,
replace both, even if one is not broken. This will not only prevent
any damage caused by the breaking of the second spring, but also
keep your door working efficiently.
2. Check Your Cables. Visually inspect the cables that attach
the spring system to the bottom brackets on both sides of the
door. If these cables are frayed or worn, they are in danger
of breaking, which can cause injury. Due to the dangers associated
with high spring tension, these cables should be replaced only
by a trained technician.
3. Squeaky Springs? Springs can squeak and be noisy. This is
caused by normal use and does not necessarily indicate a problem.
Before calling a professional service technician, use a spray-on
lubricant (recommended especially for garage doors). If the noise
persists, call a professional garage door installer for service.
4. A Do-It-Yourselfer, Eh? Installing a garage door can be
very dangerous and is not recommended for a novice. DASMA recommends
that trained door systems technicians install garage doors. If
you attempt the installation by yourself, be sure to follow the
manufacturer’s installation instructions carefully.
5. Safety Cables. If your garage door has extension springs,
you need a safety cable that runs through the spring and secures
to the wall or ceiling at each end. When your garage door is
down, extension springs are under high tension. If the spring
breaks, it may cause injury. A safety cable can keep that broken
spring contained. If you have extension springs but do not have
a safety cable, call your local dealer for a safety inspection.
6. Struggling Door? If your door does not go up and down smoothly,
you may have an unsafe condition. Even older door systems should
operate smoothly. If the awkward operation continues when the
door is manually operated, you may have a spring system that
is out of balance. This can cause premature wear and tear on
other important door components. Spring systems are dangerous
and should be repaired only by trained professionals.
7. Watch Your Fingers! Every year, many unsuspecting homeowners
injure their fingers by placing them between the door sections
to pull down on the door. According to DASMA Standard 116, if
your door lacks pinch-resistant joints, you should have lift
handles or suitable gripping points on the inside and outside
of the door. Even if your door has an opener, the door must occasionally
be operated manually. Never place your fingers between the door
sections. If you manually open or close the door, use the handles
or the safe gripping points!
8. Tamper Resistant Brackets. Since the bottom brackets on
a garage door are connected to the door’s springs, these
brackets are under extreme tension. They should be adjusted or
loosened only by a trained door systems technician. Many manufacturers
now include tamper resistant hardware that prevents loosening
of the brackets by a novice.
9. Use the Old Track? When buying a replacement garage door,
some homeowners are tempted to save a few dollars by putting
the new door on the old track. However, your old track may not
fit with your new door, depending on the thickness of your sections,
the weight of the door, the headroom required, the location of
the garage door opener, and other considerations. The track and
sections work together as a system. For maximum performance and
long life, you should use the track that is designed for your
specific door.
10. Regular Service. Your garage door is probably the largest
moving part in your home and is typically used every day. Over
time, parts can wear out and break, creating potential safety
problems. Although you should provide monthly safety checks and
maintenance to your garage door system, an annual visit from
a trained door systems technician can keep your door operating
safely and smoothly for a long time.
11. Man the Manual. Keep the owner's manuals for your door
and opener hanging near the door for easy reference. Every model
of door and opener has specific safety instructions unique to
that model. Where is your manual?
source: www.dasma.com
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