These two tests take two minutes and check the features that keep a heavy closing door from landing on a child, a pet, or your car. Every homeowner should run them a couple of times a year. Here is how.
Meet the two safety systems
Your opener has two independent safety features. The photo-eye sensors are the little boxes on each side of the door, about six inches off the floor, that shoot an invisible beam across the opening — break the beam and the door will not close. The auto-reverse is a force setting that reverses the door if it physically contacts something on the way down. Both have been required on openers since 1993, and you want both working.
Test 1: the broom (photo-eye) test
Press the button to close the door, then stick a broom handle or your foot through the beam near the floor — without putting yourself under the door. The moment the beam breaks, the door should stop and reverse back up. If it keeps closing, the sensors are not doing their job.
Test 2: the 2x4 (auto-reverse) test
Lay a 2x4 flat on the floor, centered under the door. Close the door with the opener. When the bottom of the door hits the wood, it should reverse within a second or two. If it keeps pushing, grinds, or does not bounce back, the down-force is set too high or the reversal is failing — that is a real hazard.
If the sensors fail
Most sensor problems are simple: a lens caked with dust or a spider web, a sensor bumped out of alignment (the little indicator light goes off or blinks), or a loose wire. Wipe the lenses, make sure both point straight at each other with steady lights, and check the wiring. Our sensor troubleshooting guide walks through every fix, and if the door reverses right before it closes, misaligned sensors are the usual cause.
When to call a pro
If the lenses are clean, the lights are steady, the wiring looks good, and it still fails — or if the 2x4 test fails and you cannot safely adjust the force — get it looked at. A door that will not reverse is not one to keep using. See sensor repair or give us a call; this is exactly the kind of safety check we would rather you not skip.
Key takeaways
- Two tests, two minutes: the broom (photo-eye) and the 2x4 (auto-reverse).
- Photo-eye sensors sit about six inches off the floor and must line up.
- If the door does not reverse in either test, stop using the opener.
- Most sensor faults are a dirty lens, misalignment, or a loose wire.
- Both safety features have been required on openers since 1993.