How Does the Auto-Reverse Safety Feature Work on Garage Doors?

When it comes to garage door safety, there is no better feature than auto reverse. This feature has no doubt saved countless children and pets from being crushed by the heavy forces of a garage door. This safety feature also saves you from damaging your car in case you didn’t pull enough into your garage.

The Importance of the Auto-Reverse Safety Feature

However, to truly respect this feature, you need to learn how it works. Thus, the following includes information regarding the functionality of auto reverse as well as what you can do to keep it running properly.

Optical

The auto-reverse safety device works by incorporating two types of features and making it one. So, let’s begin with the first one, optical. The optical feature essentially allows the door to sense when something is in the way of the path of the garage door. For instance, if you’re coming home from work, and your pets see that the garage door is open, they might want to run out. The door, if it lands on the pet, may cause serious injury. However, the optical sensors kick in and sense that there is something in the way and thus begin to reverse. It is recommended to dust this sensor as frequently as possible to detour it from not being able to read its path correctly.

Mechanical

The mechanical feature incorporated into the auto-reverse of a garage door conducts the same job as the optical feature but with a different trigger. Instead of sensing objects, it can detect pressure. For example, if someone is trapped under the garage door, and he or she begins to push against it, the mechanical feature kicks in and reverses the door to ensure the safety of anyone who is trapped under it. If you notice during a test run that it is not working, you should seek the services of a Huntington Beach garage door repair company.