garage door safety

SAFETY

Your safety is our Number One concern. If we find that your garage door is a potential hazard, we will consult with you on the options for replacing parts or upgrading to a new garage door or garage door opener. Overhead garage doors are not toys and we recommend you take the time to educate your children on the potential hazards. Small children and pets can be hurt by a closing or malfunctioning garage door. We’ve provided several links below that will allow you to familiarize yourself with the safety and usage of overhead garage doors.

Of course, our technicians are ready and willing to inspect your garage door and garage opener and recommend any safety measures you might like to consider.

To ensure that your garage door is operating properly all year round, we recommend annual garage door Tune-Ups to keep all the necessary parts in excellent running condition.

http://www.cpsc.gov/
http://www.ul.com/consumers/garagedoors.html

Garage Door Safety Guide

Please heed these simple overhead garage door safety precautions and tips on monthly inspection of your garage door and garage door opener. Please feel free to give us a call if you would like more information or to schedule an annual garage door Tune-Up.

Garage Door System Safety - An Automatic Decision
Your garage door is the largest moving object in your home. They are often operated by electric garage door openers. Proper installation, operation, maintenance and testing are necessary to provide safe, trouble-free overhead door operation. An improperly adjusted garage door or automatic opener can exert deadly force when the garage door is closed, which could lead to serious injury or death. You or your loved ones, including pets, could be hit by a closing garage door or trapped underneath.

Safety is Everyone's Business
A few simple precautions can protect your family, friends and pets from potential harm. Please take a few minutes to read the following overhead door safety and maintenance tips. Also, please refer to your garage door and opener manual for further specific details.

Garage Door Openers are not Toys
Do not stand or walk under a moving garage door! Do not let children or adults play "beat the door." It is dangerous and can result in serious injury or death. Adults should set a good example. Familiarize yourself with the emergency release in case someone is pinned by the door.

Do not let children play with or use the transmitters or remote controls. Always place and store them out of the reach of children.

The pushbutton wall control should be out of the reach of children (at least 5 feet from the floor) and away from all moving parts. Mount and use the button where you can clearly see the moving garage door.

Routine Maintenance Can Prevent Tragedies
Take a few minutes to inspect and test your complete garage door system. Make monthly garage door inspection and testing a part of your regular routine. Safety is everyone's business. Make garage door and garage door opener safety automatic in your home and consult your owner's manual for additional recommended maintenance tips.

Monthly Maintenance Checklist

Garage Door Opener

  • Reversal Test
  • Force Setting Test
  • Additional Safety Devices
  

Garage Door

  • Visual Inspection - Springs, Rollers, Pulleys, Cables, and Track
  • Lubrication
  • Door Balance

Testing and Maintaining the Garage Door Opener
There are routine safety and maintenance steps that you should follow once a month. Review your owner's manual for your specific garage door opener. If you do not have an owner’s manual, look for the opener model number on the back of the power unit and request a manual from the manufacturer or check online.

Reversal Test
Make sure your garage door opener has a reversing feature. If a reversing feature is not present, your overhead door opener should be replaced. Garage door openers manufactured after January 1, 1993 are required by federal law to have advanced safety features that comply with the latest UL 325 standards. Contact your manufacturer or installer for additional information.

Test the reversing feature once a month.

  • First, test the balance of the door (see "Testing and Maintaining The Garage Door"). If the door is properly balanced, then proceed.
  • With the door fully open, place a 1½-2" thick piece of wood (a 2x4" 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 doors" must be rigid so that the door will not close without reversing.)
  • If the door does not have reverse, have it repaired or replaced. Have a qualified individual adjust, repair or replace the opener or 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 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. Test the reversing feature after any adjustment.

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 prevent against entrapment. Keep in mind that adding more garage door safety devices will not make an old garage door opener meet current UL standards.

Make sure the additional overhead door safety devices, such as photo eyes or edge sensors, are properly installed and adjusted (see owner's manual).
Visual Inspection
Look at the garage door springs, cables, rollers, pulleys and other garage door hardware for signs of wear. If you suspect problems, have a qualified person make repairs.
Warning - Springs are under high tension. Only qualified persons should adjust them
Garage door springs, cables, brackets and other hardware attached to the springs, are under very high tension and, if handled improperly, can cause serious injury. Only a qualified professional or a mechanically experienced person, carefully following the manufacturer's instructions, should adjust them. The garage door torsion springs (the springs above the door) should only be adjusted by a professional. Do not attempt to repair or adjust the torsion springs yourself.

A restraining cable or other device should be installed on the extension spring (the spring along the side of the 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.

Lubrication
Regularly lubricate the moving parts of the garage door. However, do not lubricate plastic parts such as plastic rollers and plastic idler bearings. Consult the owner's manual for the manufacturer's recommendation.

Door Balance
Periodically test the balance of your door.

  • Start with the door closed.
  • 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 door smoothly and with little resistance. It should stay open around three or four feet above the floor. If it does not, it is out of adjustment. Have it adjusted by a qualified service person.

Garage Door Opener Safety - An Automatic Decision
This important information is provided by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the National Safety Council and the Industry Coalition for Automatic Garage Door Opener Safety.

 
 
     

Contact: 512.442.5301     Email: operations@hutchinsgaragedoors.com
Showroom Address: 2507 South Bell Blvd. (Hwy. 183) Cedar Park, Texas 78613

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