Quick answer: The garage door safety reversal test checks that a closing door reverses when it meets something. Once a month, close the door on a 2×4 laid flat in its path: it must reverse on contact. Block the photo eye beam and it must not close. For balance, pull the release with the door closed and lift it halfway. It should stay. If a test fails, call Larry Myers Garage Doors.
Key takeaways
- Once a month, run three quick checks: balance, the 2×4 reversal test and the photo eyes. Together they take about five minutes.
- Pull the emergency release only with the door closed. If the door drifts when you let go halfway up, the springs need a technician.
- If the door does not reverse on the 2×4, stop using the opener until it is repaired. Never turn up the force to make it pass.
- Openers made before 1993 were not required to have photo eyes. If yours has none near the floor, plan to replace it.
What is the garage door safety reversal test, and why does it matter?
The International Door Association calls the garage door the largest moving appliance in a home. The safety reversal test checks the feature that keeps it from closing on a child, a pet or a car.
That feature exists for a sad reason. The Consumer Product Safety Commission counted about 73 children, ages 2 to 14, trapped and killed under automatic garage doors since March 1982. Openers made after January 1, 1991 had to reverse on contact, and from 1993 they also needed a second safety feature, usually photo eyes near the floor.
Those rules trace to UL 325, the safety standard for electric door and gate operators. UL says that after its 1991 revision added two layers of entrapment protection, a pilot study found incidents fell by more than half as a share of all garage door injuries.
Rules only help if the parts still work. Sensors get bumped and springs wear, so DASMA, CPSC and the International Door Association all recommend testing monthly. Start with balance, which tells you whether the springs are sound.
How do I do the balance test safely?
The springs carry most of the door’s weight, and the balance test shows whether they still do. First, look. If a spring has a gap in its coil, a cable looks frayed or slack, the door hangs crooked, or you heard a loud bang, skip the test and call us. Otherwise, ask the household to leave the door alone, then:
- Close the door all the way. This is the step that keeps the test safe.
- Pull the emergency release cord, usually a red handle on the opener rail. Never pull it with the door open: if a spring is broken, the door can drop fast. Our emergency release cord guide explains how it works.
- Lift by the handle or a grip point near the bottom, never at the joints between sections.
- Raise it about halfway and gently let go, keeping your hands close.
- Watch. A balanced door stays put. If it drifts down or creeps up, the springs are out of balance.
- Lower it and reconnect the opener as your owner’s manual describes. On many openers, running the door once reconnects it.
If it drifts, stop there and call us. Please do not adjust the springs yourself. They store a lot of energy, and garage door spring repair is a job for a trained technician.
How do I do the reversal test with a 2×4?
DASMA’s guidance calls for a 2×4 laid flat or another solid object 1.5 inches tall, not a roll of paper towels, tested every month. With the opener reconnected and the door open:
- Lay a 2×4 flat on the floor in the door’s path, near the middle.
- Clear the area. Keep kids, pets and yourself out from under the door.
- Close the door with the remote or wall button, and watch.
- Check the result. The door should touch the board, stop and go back up.
If it stops on the board and stays there, or keeps pushing down, it has failed. CPSC says the opener must then be disengaged until it is adjusted according to the owner’s manual, repaired or replaced. We recommend letting a technician find the cause.
How do I test the photo eyes?
Photo eyes are the two small sensors low on each side of the door. One sends an invisible beam to the other, and breaking that beam should stop a closing door.
- Check the lights. A steady light on the receiving eye usually means the eyes see each other.
- Wipe both lenses with a soft, dry cloth.
- Start closing the door, then slide a box into the beam from the side, never your foot or hand. The door should stop and go back up.
- Leave the beam blocked and press close. The door should not close.
DASMA says photo eyes should sit no higher than six inches above the floor, so a crawling child or pet is still detected. Never tape, bypass or raise them. If the door fails only when low fall or winter sun shines on the sensors, see our guide to a garage door that won’t close in winter.
What does it mean if my door fails one of these tests?
Each failure points to a different part of the system.
| Check | Balance test | 2×4 reversal test | Photo eye test |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you need | Your hands, door closed | A 2×4 and the remote | A soft cloth and a box |
| A pass looks like | Door stays put halfway up | Door reverses on contact | Door reverses when the beam is blocked |
| A fail means | Springs worn, broken or out of balance | Settings off, door binding or opener worn | Dirty, misaligned or faulty sensors |
| Next step | Stop and call; never adjust springs | Stop using the opener and call | Clean and aim; call if it still fails |
Whatever the result, do not turn up the opener’s force to make a door pass. That dulls the feature that keeps it from crushing whatever is underneath.
Some findings mean stop now, whatever the tests say: a loud bang from the garage, a gap in a spring coil, a door that suddenly feels heavy or hangs crooked, or a frayed or slack cable. Stop using the door, keep people and pets away, do not pull the emergency release with the door up, and call us.
Why older Portland and Vancouver homes need this test most
Federal rules did not require photo eyes on openers made before 1993, or reversing on those made before 1991. Plenty are still running in close-in Portland and older Vancouver neighborhoods. An opener that still runs is not the same as one that is still safe.
Look low on both sides of the door. No sensors means your opener likely predates the rule, or someone removed them. Run the 2×4 test anyway, then talk with us about a new garage door opener.
Summer is the easiest time to start. NWS Portland notes that only about 3 percent of our rain falls in July and August, and nearly 90 percent between mid-October and mid-May. Once the rains start, low sensors catch splash and grime, and the low winter sun can blind them. A door that passes in July can fail in November, so keep testing monthly.
From Sellwood and Milwaukie to Hazel Dell and Camas, the tests are the same. We serve Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties in Oregon and Clark County in Washington. Call our Portland line at 503-852-9238 or our Vancouver line at 360-777-6854.
When to call a professional
Call us if any of these happen:
- The door drifts, rises or drops during the balance test.
- The door does not reverse on the 2×4.
- The photo eyes still fail after cleaning and aiming, or both sensor lights are off.
- Your opener has no photo eyes at all.
- You hear a bang, see a gap in a spring or a frayed cable, or the door turns heavy or crooked.
Our technicians repair and replace springs, cables, openers and safety sensors, with same-day service available. See our garage door repair page, or request a free estimate for a new opener. Even when every test passes, DASMA recommends a yearly visit from a trained technician.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I test my garage door’s safety features?
Test your door’s safety features once a month. DASMA, CPSC and LiftMaster all recommend a monthly reversal test, and the International Door Association adds a monthly look at the springs, cables, balance and photo eyes. Test again after any repair, after the sensors get bumped, and after reconnecting the opener following a power outage.
What is UL 325, and does my opener meet it?
UL 325 is the safety standard for electric door and gate operators. Its 1991 revision added two layers of entrapment protection, and federal rules since 1993 require a second safety feature such as photo eyes. If your opener has photo eyes and passes the 2×4 and beam tests every month, its safety features are doing their job.
What should happen when a 2×4 is placed under the door?
The door should touch the board, stop and go back up. If it stops and stays down, or keeps pushing on the board, it has failed. Stop using the opener until it is repaired, and do not turn up the force to get a pass. Call us and we will find the cause.
Why did my garage door fail the reversal test?
Common causes include a force or travel setting that has drifted, a door that binds or is out of balance, worn opener parts, or an opener too old for modern safety features. Run the balance test to rule out the springs, but never adjust them yourself. Then stop using the opener and have it checked.
Can I adjust the force setting without a technician?
Your owner’s manual may describe the force and travel settings, but we do not recommend changing them to make a failing door pass. A door that fails often has another problem, such as binding or weak springs, and more force hides it while weakening the feature that protects kids and pets.
Did your garage door fail a safety test?
Larry Myers Garage Doors has treated Portland and Vancouver customers like neighbors since 1973: transparent, affordable pricing, same-day service available, no extra charge on Saturdays, work backed by our warranty, and estimates that are always free.
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