Nice article. One thing I would add is to disable the manual lock on the vehicle door. You will damage the door and/or injure someone if the manual lock is engaged and the electric opener is used.
Some sources recommend placing a 2x4 piece of wood on the ground beneath the door, although there have been instances where this testing method has damaged the door or door opener components.
Member Russ Spriggs warns,
"Do not, Not, NOT, NOT ever do this!
"In my second year of inspection, I was trying this method in a nice Estes Park, CO home.
"After the door continued to crush into the 2x4 block, springs went flying and cables came loose from the assembly and wall.
“Thankfully, no one was home, so after a trip to both the defecatorium and the local harware store, I was finally able to fix it. That was my LAST time using that technique!”
Russell is correct. Especially on one of those light gauge aluminum doors. Use your hands like the PIC in www.nachi.org/garage-doors-openers.htm shows.
And I have found ( the hard way I might add ) that using two arms is not wise. One arm, bent at the elbow, should be enough force to activate the safety reverse. If not, I recommend adjustment. It is just human nature to want to apply enough force to activate the sensor so I would keep holding, holding, straining, straining…crunch! There goes the top panel. I’ve been using the one arm technique for the last couple of years with good results.
Use of 2x4 is one of the testing procedures listed
at http://www.dasma.com/SafetyGDMaint.asp
They listed both arm and 2x4 as procedures used to test the door
safety features, not one or other.
And they will not replace any damaged door as a result of their recommendation…enough said about that.
Your little guy applying pressure on the door should be positioned in
the middle of the door…I was asked to assist an inspector on an inspection of a large house…I watched the door fall down as he applied pressure while standing offset of center. Needless to say we spent
the next 1/2 hour fixing the door.
I too use one hand with very little pressure…I dont even grip the door…2 - 3 fingers is all one needs.
Jeff
This has worked good for me for years, also. And stay in the middle like Jeff said.
David
Thanks for the suggestion, I just made a change to the article.
And I’ll see about moving the little man to the middle. Graphics department is hard away at work.
Keep em coming guys
I had the little man move, all’s fixed, thanks again
Nice article.
I test garage doors by activating the door switch and quickly standing underneath it (with loose/bent knees) and lining the door up with my right shoulder. The door then hits my shoulder and it retracts (when operating properly). If the safety release doesn’t work, I simply jump out from underneath the door and write it up.