How to Adjust Auto Reverse on Garage Doors
Garage doors are significantly heavy and can cause fatal accidents if the auto reverse function is not working as it should. The garage door opener’s auto reverse is a motorized function that protects you and your family from being hurt by the garage door. It works by opening the door if it senses anything blocking the entrance. If you’ve tested the auto reverse and found an issue, here are a few tips on how to adjust auto reverse on garage doors.
How to Adjust Auto Reverse on Garage Doors — Garage Problem Solutions
This article highlights how you can test and adjust your garage door opener auto reverse.
Testing the Auto Reverse Mechanism
First things first, it’s generally advisable to inspect both the door and the opener at least once a month. One of the easiest ways to test the auto reverse mechanism is to place a block on the floor under the door. If the door fails to reverse within 2 seconds after striking the block, that’s usually an indication that it requires too much force to reverse.
Locate the Controls
Once you’ve tested the auto reverse feature of your garage door opener and discovered that the door either doesn’t reverse at all or requires too much force to reverse, then you can check the garage door opener controls and adjust the settings. To access the controls, you’ll need to use a stepladder to access the main part of the opener’s motor. Then locate the closing-force adjustment — usually a screw or knob — located on the opener motor.
Bear in mind that every garage door opener is different, so it’s important to get full instructions from your owner’s manual.
Adjust the Opener Settings
To decrease the amount of force required to reverse the garage door’s direction, use a screwdriver to turn the screw or turn the knob counterclockwise one quarter. On the other hand, turning it clockwise will increase the amount of force. Re-test the auto-reverse mechanism and repeat the process until the opener is properly adjusted.
If you’re not comfortable making the adjustments on your own, seek the services of a professional garage door expert.
Close the Door
Once the garage door is properly adjusted, confirm that it will close completely without any objects in its path. Clear anything in the doors path and close the door. If the door reverses or there’s a gap between the garage door and floor, then the opener needs to be readjusted.
Get It Fixed Immediately
If you’ve tried all the steps mentioned and your garage door did not reverse correctly or couldn’t be adjusted, schedule an appointment with a garage door expert or repair contractor to have the door repaired or replaced immediately. The last thing you want is to have a faulty garage door as it can cause serious injuries.
Bottom Line
Fixing a garage door opener’s auto reverse mechanism varies greatly depending on the age and model of the opener. Nonetheless, the tips mentioned on how to adjust auto reverse on garage doors should work for most models. If making adjustments is more complicated than a simple adjustment, contact garage door service company to be on the safe side.
