Garage Door Opener Safety Features Every Homeowner Should Know
Due to their weight, garage doors without safety features can be extremely dangerous and cause severe injuries. Taking proper precautions is essential to ensure garage door opener safety in Utah. There are several safety features homeowners can consider to reduce hazards. Here, we’ll discuss our top picks for the best features (and some pro tips) to keep your garage door operating safely.
What Garage Door Opener Features Can Enhance Your Safety?
As a homeowner, it’s important to learn about the most beneficial opener safety features. They could help keep you, your family, and visitors safe.
Rolling Codes
A rolling code opener pairs with your remote to generate a new code each time you use the remote to enter. This system makes it harder for hackers to steal the information, which would give them easy access to your garage. Since the code constantly changes, rolling code openers are typically safer than those that use fixed codes. However, it’s still crucial to safeguard your remote so that it’s not stolen. This includes not leaving it in your vehicle or anywhere else where it’s easily accessible.
Garage Safety Sensors
These sensors are installed on each side of the track, a few inches from the ground. They emit a horizontal infrared beam that detects if something or someone crosses their path. If this happens, the garage door stops and reverses to prevent danger. This is particularly beneficial for homes with children or pets. The sensors are also useful for preventing damage to valuables, such as cars, motorcycles, boats, and bicycles. Currently, federal safety standards require these sensors for all residential automatic garage door openers.
Auto-Reverse
This is another mandatory safety feature. It causes the garage door to stop and go back up if it encounters anything in its path while it’s closing. This can happen at any height, including above the floor-level safety sensors. The auto-reverse feature provides another layer of safety to your garage door opener.
Battery Backups
If you don’t have a whole-home generator, your garage door opener won’t work during a power outage. This could be a huge problem when you need to enter or exit your garage. However, having a battery backup ensures the garage door keeps working properly. You won’t have to worry about lifting or closing the door manually.
Emergency Manual Release
An emergency manual release can grant you access when using the opener isn’t an option. It’s particularly important if you don’t have a window or another door to get into your garage. The release lets you manually disconnect the garage door from the opener when the motor isn’t working properly or if there’s a power outage. You can manually open and close the garage door, so that you can get in or out.
Automatic Deadbolt
This operates similarly to the deadbolt you may have on the entry doors to your home, except it works automatically. It’s different from the standard garage door latch, which only offers basic protection. The garage door deadbolt automatically locks the door when it closes to prevent forced entry.
Wi-Fi Monitoring and Alerts
This smart technology allows you to monitor the garage door’s status remotely, including when it opens and closes. You’ll receive alerts and notifications on your smartphone regarding the door’s status. Depending on the settings, you may also be able to open or close your garage door remotely.
Motion-Sensing Garage Lights
These LED light fixtures can be installed outside or inside your garage door. They automatically illuminate the area when they detect movement in their vicinity. While these lights help deter criminals, they also provide more visibility as you’re walking near (or entering) the garage.
Does Professional Garage Door Maintenance Matter?
Garage door opener safety features only help protect you and your loved ones when they’re working properly. Having our professionals install them, and getting some occasional garage door maintenance, helps ensure that they’re functioning correctly and won’t malfunction when you need them most.
We recommend scheduling garage door maintenance at least once a year. Our team will inspect the garage door from top to bottom, including the opener and all the safety features. During the inspection, we perform various tasks, including safety checks and lubricating moving parts. The fall is the best time to schedule maintenance to prepare your garage door for the cold Utah winter ahead.
Make sure your garage door opener safety features are operating correctly. Garage Pro in Ogden and Logan, UT, performs comprehensive garage door installations, inspections, and maintenance for area homeowners.
Want a new garage door or an opener with more safety features, or maintenance to keep yours running smoothly? Call Garage Pro today to schedule an appointment!
