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A garage door is the largest moving object in the home. They are often operated by
electric door openers. Proper installation, operation and maintenance and testing of the
garage door and automatic opener are necessary to provide safe, trouble-free operation. An
improperly adjusted garage door or automatic opener can exert deadly force when the door
closes. This could lead to serious injury or death from being hit by a closing garage door
or from being trapped under the door.  |
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| Some of the following precautions
and warnings are identified with this "Safety Alert Symbol". This symbol
indicates a potential personal safety hazard that can result in injury or death. 
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Safety Is Everyone's
Business
A few simple precautions can protect your family and friends from potential harm.
Please take a few minutes to read the following safety and maintenance tips. Refer to your
garage door and opener owner's manual for details specific to the model you own. Then
check the operation of your garage door and automatic opener. |
Teach Your Children About
Garage Door and Opener Safety
Garage door openers are not toys. Careless operation and allowing children to play with
or use garage door opener controls can lead to tragic results. Discuss garage door safety
with your children. Explain the danger of being trapped under the door.
When using the push-button or transmitter, keep the door in sight until it completely
stops moving. Teach children never to play under or near an open garage door. |
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 Teach children to keep
their 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.
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Routine Maintenance Can
Prevent Tragedies
Take a few minutes to inspect and test your complete garage door system. Make monthly
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.
Consult owner's manuals for additional recommended maintenance for your models of door
and opener. |
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 |
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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 the 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.
Reversal Test
Make sure your opener has a reversing feature. If a reversing feature is not present, it
should be replaced. Garage door openers manufactured after January 1, 1993 are required by
federal law to have advanced safety features which comply with the latest U.L. 325
standards: Contact your manufacturer or installer for additional information.
Test the reversing feature every 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 1-1/2" thick piece of wood (a 2"x 4"
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 reverse, have it repaired or replaced. Have a
qualified individual adjust, repair or replace the opener or door. |
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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 protect against entrapment. Keep
in mind that adding more safety devices will not make an old opener meet the current U.L.
standards.
Make sure the additional safety devices, such as photo eyes or edge sensors, are
properly installed and adjusted (see owners' manual). |
Testing and
Maintaining The Garage Door
Perform routine maintenance steps once a month. Review your owner's manual for the
garage door. If you don't have a manual, look for the model number on the back of the
door, or check the lock handle, hinges, or other hardware for the manufacturer's name and
request a manual from the manufacturer.
Visual Inspection
Look at the garage door springs, cables, rollers, pulleys, and other 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 torsion springs (the springs above the
door) should only be adjusted by a professional. 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 door) to help contain the spring if it breaks. |
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| 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. |
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Lubrication
Regularly lubricate the moving parts of the door. However, do not lubricate plastic parts
such as plastic rollers and plastic idler bearings. Consult the door owner's manual for
the manufacturer's recommendation. |
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| 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 to four feet above the floor. If it does
not, it is out of adjustment. Have it adjusted by a qualified service
person. |
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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.
©1996 The Industry Coalition For Automatic Garage Door Opener Safety
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