Garage Door Entrapment
Spot it
Photo-eye sensors knocked askew or blocked by clutter; a door that doesn't reverse when it hits an object; kids racing the closing door; an opener from before 1993.
Fix it
Test monthly: block the photo eyes (door should refuse to close) and place a paper-towel roll under the closing door (it should reverse on contact). Keep the wall button out of kids' reach and teach 'the door is not a game.' Pre-1993 openers: replace (UL 325 governs current openers).
Safer swaps
What actually fixes this — the category to look for, not a brand we were paid to name.
Modern UL 325 opener with battery backup
For pre-1993 or failing units
Monthly auto-reverse test (photo-eye + contact)Habit
Two minutes; the reminder-loop candidate
No shopping list for this hazard — the fix is a habit, not a purchase.
Sources cited
Sources
- Auto-reverse has been federally required on openers since 1993 — but sensors drift out of alignment and springs fail, so the protection only works if you test it — U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (incl. SaferProducts.gov), 1993 (how we check this source)
Every source we cite is checked against our criteria first — see how we check our sources.
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