GarageDoorBossPro Blog — Technician App

Auto-Reverse, Photo-Eyes and Opener Force: Recording the Opener Checks in the Tech App

Homeowners think of the opener as the part that makes the door go up and down. Garage door pros know it is also the part that decides when the door should stop. The auto-reverse, the photo-eyes and the force settings are what keep a closing door from coming down on a car, a bike or a kid. Those checks deserve a clear record on every call.

The Opener Half of the Checklist

The hardware items are covered in Springs, Cables, Rollers and Tracks: Recording the Hardware Checks in the Tech App. This guide covers the rest of the door safety checklist: the auto-reverse safety test, photo-eye sensors, opener force & limits, emergency release, and keypad & remotes.

The same rule applies here as everywhere on the checklist. The app records that the tech checked each item and what they found. It does not explain how to adjust an opener. Your trained techs know how; the app gives them a place to record that they did it.

Auto-Reverse Safety Test

This is the item that most needs a written record. When the tech marks the auto-reverse test on the checklist, the job now shows that it was tested on that date by that tech, because the personal PIN put a name on it.

If the door did not reverse the way it should, that is exactly what the condition rating and recommendations are for. Mark the condition Repair recommended and write it plainly: “Door did not reverse on test. Opener needs service. Customer advised not to use the opener until repaired.” That sentence ends up on the printed inspection report, in front of the homeowner, in words they understand.

Photo-Eye Sensors

Photo-eye sensors are the two small units near the bottom of the tracks. They get bumped by bikes, brooms and trash cans, and a homeowner whose door won't close often has a sensor out of line.

On the equipment list, safety sensors can be saved as their own item on the house. On the checklist, the tech marks that the sensors were checked. If the tech found them knocked out of line, that goes in the issues found reading or the notes. It also makes a good tip for the homeowner in the recommendations: “Sensor on the left side was bumped out of line. Keep storage clear of the bottom of the tracks.”

Opener Force & Limits

Opener force and limits are settings inside the opener. The checklist item records that the tech checked them. The opener itself is saved on the house with its model, horsepower and drive: belt, chain, screw or wall-mount jackshaft. On the card that looks like “Garage Door Opener · LiftMaster 87504-267 · 1/2 HP · Belt Drive.”

Opener age is one of the readings, too. Together with the condition rating, it helps the office spot houses where the opener is getting old and an opener install estimate might be welcome. The readings are covered in Readings in the Garage Door Tech App: Door Size, Spring Turns, Balance and Ages.

Emergency Release, Keypad & Remotes

The emergency release is what lets the door be moved by hand when the power is out. On the checklist it is its own item. A tech who checks it can also show the homeowner where it is, which is the kind of small thing customers remember.

Keypad and remotes round out the list. They are often the first thing a homeowner blames when the door won't open, and sometimes they are right. Keypads and remotes can be saved on the house too, so the card shows what is there. On the checklist, the tech marks that they work the right door. Multi-bay garages make this worth checking: a keypad that opens Bay 1 when it should open Bay 2 is a quick fix that saves an angry call.

On commercial accounts, the opener checks carry extra weight. A property manager or HOA board often wants to know that safety features were tested on every door at every address on a regular schedule, such as commercial door maintenance every 90 days. A checklist saved on each job, at each address, gives the office a clean answer when the manager asks, without anyone reconstructing it from memory or old invoices.

From the Checklist to the Homeowner

The opener checks are the part of the inspection a homeowner cares about most once they understand it. When the office prints the Garage Door Safety Inspection report, these items are listed with what was checked, the condition and the recommendations. A customer on a yearly tune-up plan sees, in writing, that the auto-reverse was tested and the sensors were checked.

That is a big part of why customers keep paying for tune-ups. It is hard to see value in a visit where nothing seemed to happen. It is easy to see value in a report that shows every safety check by name.

For everything else on the tech's phone, from navigation to payment at completion, visit the GarageDoorBossPro garage door technician app page.