Garage Door Opener Failed the Auto-Reverse Test: What It Means on Your Home Inspection Report

Your inspector closed the garage door with the opener and something got in its way, and the door kept coming down instead of stopping and going back up. Either they broke the invisible beam between the two photo-eye sensors near the floor, or they set an object on the floor in the door's path.

Those are two separate safety systems: the contact reversal, which reverses the door when it hits something, and the photo-eyes, which reverse it when something breaks their beam, before the door touches anything. The InterNACHI standards of practice require inspectors to report photo-eye sensors that don't work properly. They don't require the contact test, so ask which one failed. Either way, the door is missing protection that federal rules have required on new openers since the early 1990s.

Why It Matters

LiftMaster calls a garage door the largest moving object in the home and warns that an improperly adjusted door and opener can exert deadly force when it closes. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says homeowners with openers that don't reverse should repair or replace them to keep young children from being trapped and killed under closing doors. In a safety alert that dates from about 2011, the CPSC said it had reports of about 73 children ages 2 to 14 trapped and killed under automatic garage doors since March 1982, about three deaths a year on average. Other children suffered brain damage or serious injuries when a closing door hit them and failed to reverse.

The CPSC requires openers made or imported for sale in the U.S. after January 1, 1991, to have reversing systems. In 1993 it added a requirement for external entrapment protection: an electric eye, a door edge sensor, or an equivalent device. An opener made before 1991 may have neither, and one made before the 1993 requirement may have no photo-eyes.

On a newer opener, LiftMaster's manual points to a few causes: a down-travel setting that needs adjusting (when the door doesn't reverse on the board), sensors mounted above the 6-inch maximum (when the door closes with the beam blocked), or a door that's out of balance, which LiftMaster warns may not reverse when required. If the door closes with the beam blocked and the sensors are low enough, the manual says to call a trained door systems technician. Misaligned or blocked sensors cause the opposite problem: the opener won't close the door from the remote. The manual also says the sensors must never be disabled. The manual also says the sensors must never be disabled.

What to Do Before Closing

• Ask the inspector which test failed, whether the opener has photo-eyes, how high they're mounted, and the opener's brand and approximate age.
• Have a garage door technician evaluate it. They can check the door's balance, springs, and hardware along with the opener, and tell you whether it needs an adjustment, a repair, or a new opener.
• Talk to your agent about asking the seller to repair it or offer a credit within your inspection contingency.

For other items on your report, see more findings in our inspection report decoder.

What to Do After You Move In

Right away: the CPSC says an opener that fails the reverse test should be disengaged until it's adjusted according to the owner's manual, repaired, or replaced. Until then, open and close the door by hand, keep children away from it, and never stand or walk under it. Pull the emergency release only with the door fully closed, if possible; LiftMaster warns that weak or broken springs or an unbalanced door can make an open door fall rapidly. If the door is hard to lift, binds, or won't stay put partway open, stop using it and have a garage door technician service it, as the CPSC advises.

The fix: adjust or repair the opener, or replace an old one with a reversing opener that meets the federal standard, as the CPSC urges. Then test it.

Every month, run the tests from LiftMaster's manual:

1. Contact reversal. With the door fully open, lay a 1½-inch board, or a 2x4 flat, on the floor centered under the door. Close the door with the remote. It must reverse when it touches the board.
2. Photo-eyes. Open the door, block the beam with an object, and try to close the door with the remote. It shouldn't close. If it does, call a trained door systems technician.
3. Balance. With the door closed, pull the release and lift the door by hand. It should move freely and stay put when stopped partway; LiftMaster's check is 3 to 4 feet above the floor. If it's unbalanced or binds, the CPSC says to have it serviced by a professional.

The CPSC also says to mount the wall button as high as practical, keep remotes away from children, and warn kids about the hazard. Our first 30 days guide lists other move-in safety checks.

Can You Fix It Yourself?

Some of it. The monthly tests are yours. LiftMaster's manual tells owners how to realign the sensors: loosen the wing nuts, line them up until both lights glow steadily, and retighten. It also covers adjusting the travel when the door doesn't reverse on the board, in line with the CPSC's advice to adjust according to the owner's manual. Disconnect power to the opener before any repair or removing a cover. If the test keeps failing, LiftMaster's instruction is to call a trained door systems technician.

Leave the springs, cables, and the rest of the door hardware alone. LiftMaster says all of it is under extreme tension and that repairs must be made by a trained door systems technician. Our DIY vs. hire-a-pro guide explains where that line sits for other jobs around the house.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a garage door that doesn't reverse a code violation?

Openers made for sale in the U.S. since 1991 must have a reversing system under the CPSC's rules, and since 1993 an external device such as photo-eyes. Older openers predate those rules, but the CPSC urges replacing them with openers that meet the federal standard.

How often should I test the auto-reverse?

Every month, and after any adjustment, per LiftMaster's manual; the CPSC says to inspect the door and opener every 30 days.

Can I keep using the garage door until it's fixed?

Not with the opener. The CPSC says to disengage it until it's fixed, so operate the door by hand, keep children away from it, and stand clear while it moves. If it's hard to lift, binds, or won't stay partway open, stop and have a technician service it; the CPSC warns a severely unbalanced door can crash to the floor.

The Bottom Line

A garage door that doesn't reverse is the entrapment hazard behind the CPSC's warnings about children killed under closing doors. Disengage the opener, ask the inspector which test failed, and get a garage door technician's evaluation before closing. After it's fixed or replaced, test the reversal and photo-eyes every month, and leave springs and cables to a trained technician.

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