The safety sensors are an essential feature with any garage door opener. The average garage door weighs hundreds of pounds, so the safety sensors are responsible for stopping it from closing on anyone or anything in its path. Safety sensors have been required by law since 1993, and improvements in technology have led to the effective modern-day sensor.

A Guide to Garage Door Safety Sensors

How They Work

Sensors are placed on either side of the door, approximately four to six inches above the ground. They send out an invisible infrared beam of light that extends between the two of them. When the signal is disrupted between the two, they know that something is in the door’s path. They will then send a signal to the garage door opener, reversing direction and sending the door back up the track.

The Advantages of Safety Sensors

Garage doors are extremely heavy and can create a significant amount of downward force that could crush a person, pet, vehicle, or anything else underneath them. If you don’t fully park your vehicle inside the garage, the sensors will stop the door from damaging your car.

Pets and children can find themselves under the path of a closing door without realizing the danger. Since 1975, at least 85 children have died or had a permanent brain injury due to being under a door as it closed. Most of them found the remote control for the door and played with it—it’s an attractive toy for a young child. Requiring sensors has prevented many accidents and protected families. 

Doorworks installs garage door openers with high-quality, reliable safety sensors in Wisconsin Rapids, WI, and throughout the Central Wisconsin area. When you get a new door and opener from them, you can trust your garage will be attractive, secure, and safe with products from the industry’s leading manufacturers. They are available around the clock for emergency repairs if your sensors ever need attention. Learn more on their website, and call (715) 424-5777 to request an estimate.