Test the garage door’s safety reverse

What you need

• A 2x4 laid flat (1-1/2 inches).
• An object over 6 inches tall.

How to do it

1. The travel limits and force must be set first.
2. With the door open, lay the board flat, centered under the door, and press close: the door must reverse when it touches the board (Genie: within 2 seconds, with the LED flashing red).
3. Genie: remove the board and run the door again to clear the flashing.
4. Photo eyes: door open, block the beam with the tall object and press close. LiftMaster: the door moves no more than an inch and the lights flash 10 times. Genie: roll a ball through while it closes; it stops and reverses. Both sensor LEDs should be lit and steady.
5. The eyes sit 4-6 inches off the floor, never higher than 6.
6. Balance: with the door closed, pull the quick release and lift the door by hand; it should stay where you leave it.
7. Test again after any limit or force change, any door or spring work, a floor repair, or an opener repair.

Normal

• Genie: the beams can be overridden only by holding the wall button.

Needs attention

• It doesn’t reverse on the board.
• It closes through a blocked beam.
• It starts down, stops and goes back up (check the beam LEDs, and for binding).

Call a garage door technician if

• It still fails after lowering the force as the manual says.
• The door is unbalanced, binding or sticking.
• It closes with the beam blocked.
• No reversing system at all: replace the opener.
• Until it’s fixed: pull the release and run the door by hand.

Keep track of it

Add your home to My homes: each piece of equipment gets this on its own schedule, with “Mark done” and reminders you can turn on.

Find your homeSign in

Sources

• LiftMaster (8500W user’s guide)
• LiftMaster
• Genie
• Genie
• CPSC

Your owner’s manual comes first: where it says something different for your model, follow it.