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Your garage door opener has safety features built in specifically to prevent the door from closing on a person, pet, or object. These features can save lives - but only if they are working correctly. Since 1993, federal law has required all garage door openers to include automatic reversal systems, and testing them takes about two minutes. Most homeowners have never done it. Here is what the systems do, how to test them, and what to do if they fail.

The Two Auto-Reverse Systems Every Modern Opener Has

Current garage door openers use two independent safety mechanisms that work together:

Photo-eye sensors: Two sensors mounted near the floor on either side of the door create an invisible infrared beam across the opening. If anything breaks that beam while the door is closing - a child, a pet, a bicycle - the door immediately reverses to the open position. These sensors were required on all new openers sold after January 1, 1993. If your opener predates that requirement, it needs to be replaced.

Pressure/force reversal: The opener’s motor continuously monitors resistance as the door travels down. If it encounters an obstruction - something the beam does not catch because it is below the beam line, or a scenario where the door is already in contact with an object - it detects the resistance and reverses. This system operates independently of the photo-eye sensors.

Both systems need to be tested and both need to pass. A door that reverses on the photo-eye test but not the pressure test (or vice versa) is not fully safe.

How to Test the Photo-Eye Sensors

Start the door closing from fully open. While it is moving down, wave your foot or an object through the beam path near the floor - you do not need to stand under the door. The door should immediately stop and reverse to the open position. If it does not, the sensors need to be inspected and likely realigned or replaced.

Also check the sensor indicator lights. On most systems, the sending sensor (usually yellow) and the receiving sensor (usually green) should both show solid lights when properly aligned. A blinking or dim light on the receiving sensor means it is not receiving the beam cleanly, which means the safety circuit is not intact. Loosen the mounting bracket on the receiving sensor and adjust it until both lights are solid, then retighten and retest.

How to Test the Pressure Reversal

The standard test uses a 2×4 piece of lumber laid flat on the floor in the path of the door. Close the door. When the door contacts the board, it should immediately reverse without significant force. The door should not press down hard enough to noticeably compress or move the board before reversing.

An alternative test: place a roll of paper towels (still in its wrapper) on the floor under the door. If the door closes on it and the cardboard tube inside bends or deforms before the door reverses, the reversal force is set too high. The door is exerting more force than it should before triggering the safety mechanism.

If the door does not reverse on contact, or reverses only after significant force, the sensitivity setting on the opener needs adjustment. Most openers have a force adjustment dial or screw - consult your manual for the location and adjustment procedure. If adjusting the force setting does not resolve it, the opener may need professional service.

How Often Should You Test?

The International Door Association recommends testing both reversal systems monthly. In practice, testing once or twice a year - along with your other seasonal maintenance - is a meaningful improvement over never testing. Add it to the same checklist as replacing smoke detector batteries.

What to Do If Your Opener Fails the Test

Do not continue using a door whose safety reversal is not working correctly. This is particularly important in homes with children or pets. First, try adjusting the force settings per your opener manual. If adjustment does not resolve it, or if the sensors cannot be realigned to produce solid indicator lights, have the system serviced by a professional.

Openers manufactured before 1993 that do not have photo-eye sensors should be replaced entirely - they do not meet current safety standards and cannot be retrofitted in a cost-effective way. Modern openers are significantly safer, quieter, and more reliable than units from that era.

Garage Door Opener Service in Tulsa and OKC

Discount Garage Door installs and services garage door openers throughout the Tulsa metro and Oklahoma City area. If your opener fails the reversal test, is more than 15 years old, or has been behaving inconsistently, give us a call or request a free quote online.

Get a free quote online or call your nearest location:

• Tulsa: 918-234-3667
• Oklahoma City: 405-525-3667
• Edmond: 405-348-2000
• South OKC: 405-848-6700

Related: Garage Door Opener Repair and Installation | Garage Door Repair | Preparing the Garage for an Emergency

Garage door problems have a way of happening at the worst possible times - early in the morning when you’re late for work, late at night after a long day, or right in the middle of a busy week. That urgency is exactly what scam operators count on. A quick Google search in a moment of frustration can land you on a listing that looks local, charges a few dollars more than competitors to seem legitimate, then hits you with a bill three times what was quoted once a technician is at your door. Here is how to recognize the most common garage door repair scams in Oklahoma before you get burned.

The Low-Ball Quote That Grows On-Site

The most common scam in the garage door industry starts with an attractive phone quote - sometimes $29, $39, or $49 for a service call. Once the technician arrives, they diagnose a problem that conveniently requires expensive parts and significant labor. By the time the job is done, a “service call” has turned into a $400 or $600 bill with no warning.

Get a written itemized estimate before any work begins. A reputable company will provide this without hesitation. If a technician resists giving you a written breakdown or pressures you to approve work quickly before leaving, that is a red flag. You are not obligated to let them proceed - and any legitimate company will only charge a stated service call fee if you decide not to move forward.

The “Lifetime Guarantee” Bait-and-Switch

If a garage door company leads with a lifetime guarantee, be skeptical. This is one of the most well-documented scams in the industry. Here is how it works: the company installs a cheap replacement part at minimal material cost, then charges an inflated service fee for the labor. Because they make their money on service fees rather than parts, they can “guarantee” the part for life - and happily replace it again and again while billing you each time.

Real warranty language specifies the part brand and model, the cycle rating, what labor is covered, and for how long. Discount Garage Door backs spring replacements with a 5-year warranty on both parts and labor - meaning we cover the part and the installation. That is the standard to hold any garage door company to.

National Call Centers Posing as Local Companies

Many garage door listings you see online - particularly in Google Maps and paid search ads - are not local companies at all. They are national call aggregators that take your service call, dispatch an independent contractor, and collect a fee. The contractor has no ongoing relationship with the “company” you called and no accountability to maintain a local reputation.

A common giveaway: when the previous technician leaves a sticker on your opener, check whether it has a local area code or a national 800 number. Genuine local companies have local numbers and a physical address you can verify. Google Business listings that lack reviews, photos, or any established history - or that recently appeared in your area - deserve extra scrutiny. Discount Garage Door has been at the same local numbers since 2001.

Unnecessary Parts and Inflated Diagnoses

Another tactic is replacing parts that do not need replacing. A technician might tell you that your cables, rollers, and opener all need immediate replacement when the real issue is a single worn spring. Without knowing what you are looking at, it is difficult to push back in the moment.

Ask for a specific explanation of what is broken and why each item needs to be replaced. Ask to see the failed component. A reputable company will not push back on a request for a second opinion before you commit to a large repair. Be especially cautious if a technician says your opener needs to be replaced during what started as a spring or cable call.

High-Pressure Tactics

Legitimate companies do not rely on pressure. If a technician tells you the door is “dangerous to operate” and must be fixed before they leave, or that the price is only good today, that is a warning sign. While some repairs do need to be handled promptly - a broken torsion spring, for instance - a trustworthy technician explains the urgency clearly and without ultimatums.

You always have the right to say you need time to think or want a second opinion. A company that does not respect that is not a company you want working on your home.

How to Find a Legitimate Garage Door Company in Oklahoma

Online reviews have made it much easier to verify a company’s reputation before you call. Here is what to look for:

• Consistent local presence: A verifiable physical address, a local area code, and reviews that go back years - not a listing that appeared recently
• Volume and recency of reviews: A company doing business in your area for years will have hundreds of reviews across Google and Facebook. Check whether the company responds to reviews and how they handle negative ones
• Word of mouth: Ask neighbors, friends, or family who they have used. Companies that earn referrals consistently do so because of actual work quality
• Transparent pricing before the call: Reputable companies give you a realistic price range over the phone and commit to a written estimate before starting work
• Specific warranty terms: Ask what is covered, for how long, and whether labor is included - not just parts

Questions to Ask Before You Book a Repair

Before scheduling any garage door service call, ask these directly:

• Is this a local company with a physical address in Oklahoma?
• Will you provide a written itemized estimate before starting any work?
• What does your warranty cover - specifically parts, labor, and for how long?
• Are there additional fees beyond the service call charge if I decide not to proceed?
• Can I see the failed component before you replace it?

A reputable company will answer every one of those questions clearly. Vague answers or pushback on any of them is your cue to call someone else.

Get Transparent Pricing From a Local Oklahoma Company

Discount Garage Door has been locally owned and operated in Oklahoma since 2001. We have completed over 20,000 jobs across the Tulsa metro and Oklahoma City area. Every estimate is written and itemized before work begins, and every spring replacement comes with a 5-year warranty on parts and labor - not the 30-day parts-only coverage most budget operators offer.

We charge the same rate day or night with no after-hours fees. If you are dealing with a garage door problem right now and want a straight answer on what it will cost to fix, give us a call or request a free quote online.

Get a free quote online or call your nearest location:

• Tulsa: 918-234-3667
• Oklahoma City: 405-525-3667
• Edmond: 405-348-2000
• South OKC: 405-848-6700

Related: Garage Door Repair in Tulsa and OKC | Garage Door Spring Repair | Garage Door Opener Repair and Installation