2023-12-28 7 min read
# Motion Detection: Protecting Your Family
Garage doors are the largest moving objects in most homes, weighing anywhere from 150 to 400 pounds or more. Without proper safety features, they can pose serious risks to children, pets, and adults. Understanding modern safety technology helps protect your family and ensures your garage door operates safely.
Prior to 1993, garage door injuries and fatalities were unfortunately common, particularly among children. That year, the Consumer Product Safety Commission mandated that all garage door openers include auto-reverse mechanisms. Since then, safety technology has continued to advance significantly.
Today's garage door systems incorporate multiple layers of protection, with motion detection and photo-eye sensors being among the most important safety features available.
Photo-eye sensors, also called safety sensors or infrared sensors, are mounted near the floor on either side of the garage door opening. One sensor emits an invisible infrared beam, while the other receives it. When anything breaks this beam, a person, pet, bicycle, or any object, the system immediately stops the door and reverses its direction.
These sensors are required by law on all garage door openers manufactured after 1993. However, sensors can become misaligned, dirty, or damaged over time, compromising their effectiveness. Regular testing and maintenance is essential.
Beyond basic photo-eye sensors, advanced motion detection systems offer additional protection. These systems use infrared technology to detect movement and body heat in the door's path, even if the object isn't directly breaking the sensor beam.
Some premium systems feature multiple detection zones that cover a wider area, integration with smart home systems for remote monitoring, alerts sent to your smartphone when motion is detected, and automatic lighting activation for added security.
We recommend testing your garage door safety features monthly. Here's how:
Photo-Eye Test: Place a cardboard box or similar object in the door's path. Activate the door to close. It should reverse immediately when the sensor beam is broken.
Auto-Reverse Test: With the door open, place a 2x4 board flat on the ground in the door's path. Close the door, it should reverse upon contacting the board.
If either test fails, stop using the door and contact a professional immediately.
Consider upgrading your garage door opener if it was manufactured before 1993 and lacks safety sensors, your current sensors frequently malfunction, you want advanced features like smartphone integration, or your opener is more than 15 years old.
Modern openers with advanced safety features provide peace of mind and can even lower your homeowner's insurance premiums in some cases.
Proper installation is critical for safety features to function correctly. At Apollo Garage Pros, our certified technicians ensure all safety systems are properly installed, aligned, and tested. We also offer maintenance plans that include regular safety system inspections.
Protect your family with a garage door system you can trust. Contact Apollo Garage Pros at (941) 207-3496 for a free safety evaluation of your current system or to discuss upgrading to a safer, more advanced garage door opener.
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