In 1993 all garage door openers were required to have external entrapment protection – such as photo-eyes – as a secondary safety feature. Photo-eyes can determine if an obstruction is in the path of a closing garage door. If an obstruction is sensed, the door immediately stops and reverses back up. If your opener does not have photo-eyes we strongly recommend that you upgrade your unit to a newer model.

You can purchase a new Chamberlain® opener online – just go to the Garage Door Opener section of this site or use our interactive Garage Door Opener Selector to help you find which Chamberlain model will best meet your needs.


Recommended Safety Tests
* all should be performed on a monthly basis

Test the Safety Sensors
The most apparent safety system is the Safety Sensor System® which is located 4 to 6 inches above the garage floor on both sides of the door.

To test the sensors, first open the door, and then place a carton or an item that completely blocks the infrared beam of the sensors. When commanded to close, the door will not move more than an inch and the opener's light bulb will flash for 5 seconds, equaling 10 flashes. Removal of the carton or item will allow normal operation. If the safety sensors become misaligned or obstructed, the garage door can be closed by pressing and holding the wall door control button until down travel is completed.

Test the automatic reverse system
Another safety feature is a built-in automatic reverse system that will reverse upon striking an obstruction, provided the opener and door are installed and adjusted properly.

Place a one inch board (or 2 x 4 laid flat) on the floor, centered under the garage door. Operate the door in the down direction. The door must reverse upon striking the board.

Test the balance of the door
(An improperly balanced door may not reverse when required and could result in severe injury or death.)

With the door closed, disconnect the garage door from the garage door opener, by pulling the red manual release rope straight down and then back toward the motor unit. This will allow you to open and close the door by hand. With the door disconnected from the opener, you should be able to open and close the door easily with one hand. The door should be lightweight and operate smoothly in both the up and down direction. If the door sticks or binds, the door is out of alignment and will need to be serviced by a professional.

Open the door half way and then release it; the door should remain in place completely supported by its springs. If the door begins to fall towards the floor or starts to rise upwards, the door is out of balance and will need to be serviced by a professional.

Failure to pass the above tests could result in serious injury or death.

If there are any issues related to these tests please refer to the owner's manual. You can also speak to one of our technical support representatives by calling our toll free Technical Support Hotline at (800) 528-5880, Monday through Friday, 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Saturday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Mountain Time, or e-mail us at technical.support@chamberlain.com.