I recently bought a new home with garage door openers. They function properly, and they have an "automatic reverse" if they bump something. I'd like to retrofit them with an "Electric Eye" so they if something or someone passes inderneath them. I'd also like to adjust the reverse function so that they will reverse on a softer bump than they currently do.
Is this possible?
To get the electric eye you will need to buy a new opener. About $150 each with two transmitters. Not really difficult to install yourself.
Your present one should have an adjustment for the reverse. I think mine said to put a 2x4 on the floor by the door. Then adjust so it would open when hitting it.
I can't imagine why anyone would want to add that nuisance of the electric eyes. Mine are mounted on the ceiling above the opener. What a pain!
Maybe, and probably...
If the opener didn't come w/ safety optical sensors, you would have to figure out how to rig a set of sensors up to make them work. How difficult that would be would depend on whether there is logic that wasn't used or whether it is a unit that has no provision. Would need at a minimum the sensors and logic to cause the reversing contacts to close on signal.
For the adjustment, that depends on the unit. Virtually all had both a reversing-position adjustment and a tension adjustment. You may be able to find an instruction manual online or look at the unit and see if you can discern the adjustments available. It has to have one for position, both up and down, so if there are others beyond that, good chance one of them is tension. Some units had tension spring clutches that were adjusted by a nut on a threaded shaft on the drive shaft or similar arrangement.
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Amen, but I wasn't going to say it! :)
Teach the kids that they have to run faster when the door is coming down.
Not as much pain as the guys at the emergency room can tell you about. They were added because of real life accidents from people who never thought it would happen.
Now maybe that is not enough for you, maybe you should consider that if a neighbor kid gets bumped in the head by your door some lawyer is going to make a fortune off you. You may find that your insurance does not help because you intentionally defeated the safety device.
You will need the instructions for that specific opener. They may be available at the web site for the door's manufacturer. If not post back here with the make and model information and maybe someone will have the information.
Wow! That tension spring type brings back memories. My first door opener, a early model Heath Kit was that type. The door weighed about
500 pounds. If anything got hit by that door it was crushed, springs or not.The reversing mechanism was the location of two nuts on a threaded shaft that rotated. The nuts were kept from turning so they rode up and down on the shaft. The door would stop and set for reverse when one of the nuts tripped a toggle switch. The door moved at one speed, very fast.
Installing a reverse sensor is simple enough for the average do-it-yourselfer. You will find a simple to install unit at:
Why spend $ 90 on refitting your old opener when you can buy a new one, with all safety equipment for $ 150.
the neighborhood kid would be trespassing. My closest neighbor is 1/2 mile away and he's 86 years old.
Small children, with a familyu friend who lost a 5 year old to a garage door with an automatic opener. The nuiscnce is worth the safety. I have them in my current garage, and I am able to work around the nuisance factor. However, in the new house, I don't want any more to worry about than I already have.
Steve Barker LT wrote:
The auto-reverse is or should be adjustable; Google for the manufacturer's site and you might find a manual. If it is not or if you can't find the manual, get new openers.
As for the infrared sensors, why would you bother if yours don't have them? They get blinded by the sun, or covered with snow, leaves or spiders. If that doesn't happen, then the kids will kick something into them that puts them out of alignment. That last one is easily fixed, but again, why bother with them if you don't have to? If the auto-reverse is adjusted properly, there is no need for these things.
You should have qualified that sentence with "unsupervised" Small children......
Have to agree with those who say getting new openers. Funny thing - I did a safety retrofit on my extension springs last summer, pulling safety cables through, based on thread here, and couple weeks ago, one snapped. No harm done. Course I know I should replace them, but it was late, and I wanted to use my car in the morning, so just re-attached/ adjusted tension on the thing, since it snapped at the end as usual. There was one of the 4 I didn't get to last summer, or since- the one over the "junk pile."
It would appear you know little about five year old children. You may know a great deal about garage door openers however. Don't let you lack of knowledge of children get in the way of accepting the laws requiring safety protection.
Then again, many of us know a lot about kids but no longer have any nor are anywhere close to where there are any...as someone else noted, it's miles to another farmhouse and I'll be d---'d if I'm going to have to restart the door closer after starting to close it and leaving by that direction rather than going "long way 'round"... :(
It's the "one size fits all" mentality that bugs me in such discussions. While the kids were young and we lived in a residential neighborhood I did put up w/ the occasional inconvenience to not bypass them, but see absolutely no reason to do so here at the present time.
I'd also like to adjust the reverse function so that they will reverse on a softer bump than they currently > do.
Look on the back panel of the housing. There might be a couple of adjusting screws appropriately label as to their function. But, the suggestion to research for an operator's manual online would be my first step. Good luck.
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