You’ve been there I’m sure, you close the garage and it starts going down, down further, almost all the way down but THEN, it stops and goes right back up. You notice your daughter’s bike wheel is sticking out just enough for the garage door’s eye sensor to catch it and it stops itself from closing on the wheel. Close call! Since this month is Garage Door Safety Month, this blog will focus on why the eye sensors on our garage doors play an important role in garage door safety.
Having eye sensors on your garage doors help to keep the pathway for your car clear, so that you don’t chance running over anything like bikes, scooters, basketballs, soccer balls etc. The eye sensors also help to protect us from having the garage shut on our pets, children, our vehicles, and ourselves. Without the sensors that tell our doors, “STOP” serious accidents could occur.
Some garage doors still function with old operating systems, such as one from before the 90’s. These do not have photo eye sensors. If you garage door opener was installed in the 90’s we strongly suggest the opener be replaced with a newer and more modern garage door opener.
Garage Door Photo Eye Safety Sensors
The functionality of the sensors is rather simple. They are placed towards the garage floor on the two opposite sides of the garage door and they must be installed in a way so they can face each other. By facing each other, if anything interrupts their direct communication, it’s considered an obstacle and the movement of the door will be reversed or stopped.
Remember, this is the largest moveable item in your home, one that could do serious damage if it were to close on a child, a pet, even a hand or foot or what if it were to close as you were backing out of the garage and land on your car? With the safety sensors, you have that added measure of control.
For more information on safety eye sensors for your garage and other safety garage topics keep reading our safety blogs this month! Having a garage and a beautiful door to go with it is great, but being safe about it and having it work properly is even better!
