Wayne Dalton iDrive - no sensors needed?

[Richard Moore]

My first one of these...

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1980's home but the garage door and opener were obviously very recent, so I was surprised when I couldn't find the photo eye reversing sensors (not even in the rafters [] ). So...I dug through the Wayne-Dalton site and found this in the installation manual (my hi-lite).

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Wassup wit dat!!? Since when have the photo eye reverse feature been an anti-pinch rather than anti-entrapment feature?

BTW...if you google this opener, there seems to be a lot of unhappy customers out there. Anyone have experience with these?

[Scottpat]

If I'm reading that correctly, that it for the door not the opener. An anti-pinch door, I believe is the solid door that swings up and not the type the rolls up in 3 or 4 sections. The door in the picture looks like one that would pinch the crap out of you!

[Richard Moore]

Hi Scott,

Both the 8000 and 9000 series are roll-up, segmented types. Does anybody still make a tilt-up door? Anyway...the difference is the design at the top and bottom of each panel and the way the hinged segments join. To quote WD from their brochure..."Pinch-resistant design helps push fingers out of harms way if accidentally placed near a closing door."

Having spent almost a year growing back a couple of fingernails after stupidly pulling a disconnected door closed by grabbing one of the joints during one of my early inspections, I can appreciate the anti-pinch bit. But...I still don't see why that would negate the need for a normal safety reverse feature.

[hausdok]

Hi Rich,

Regardless of what Wayne Dalton says, I don't think there is anything in 16CFR1211 that provides for elimination of the secondary reversal feature under any circumstance. I guess if it were up to me I'd call the manufacturer and ask them to cite me chapter and verse where it says that in 16CFR1211. If they couldn't provide me the proper citation, I'd be firing a letter off to the nearest US Attorney to report the fact that they are telling people to violate federal law.

OT - OF!!!

M.

[Brian G]

Originally posted by Richard Moore

But...I still don't see why that would negate the need for a normal safety reverse feature.

I agree. I have a door like that, and I don't see how one has anything to do with the other. I'd ignore the stupid instructions and tell my client to get the optical sensors (if they weren't there).

Sorry to hear about the fingernails Richard...ouch. I lost two to a truck door as a kid. They were very slow healing, which helped me to never let that happen again.

Brian G.

Agony Is Memorable [:-bigmout

[Richard Moore]

I went looking for anywhere it says photo-eyes are required. I found the following at http://www.cpsc.gov/businfo/frnotices/fr00/garnpr.html

Sec. 1211.13 Inherent force activated secondary door sensors.

(a) Normal operation test. (1) A force activated door sensor of a

door system installed according to the installation instructions shall

actuate when the door applies a 15 pound (66.7 N) or less force in the

down or closing direction and when the door applies a 25 pound (111.2

N) or less force in the up or opening direction. For a force activated

door sensor intended to be used in an operator intended for use only on

a sectional door, the force is to be applied by the door against the

longitudinal edge of a 1\7/8\ (47.6 mm) diameter cylinder placed across

the door so that the axis is perpendicular to the plane of the door.

See Figure 6 of this part. The weight of the door is to be equal to the

maximum weight rating of the operator.

(2) The test described in paragraph (a)(1) of this section is to be

repeated and measurements made at various representative points across

the width and height of the door. The cycles are not required to be

consecutive. Continuous operation of the motor without cooling is not

required. For this test, a door sensor system and associated components

shall withstand a total of 9 cycles of mechanical operation without

failure with the force applied as follows:

(i) At the center at points one, three, and five feet from the

floor,

(ii) Within 1 foot of the end of the door, at points one, three,

and five feet from the floor,

(iii) Within 1 foot of the other end of the door at points one,

three, and five feet from the floor.

(b) Adjustment of door weight. (1) With the door at the point and

at the weight determined by the tests of paragraphs (a)(2) and (b)(2)

of this section to be the most severe, the door sensor and associated

components shall withstand 50 cycles of operation without failure.

(2) At the point determined by the test in paragraphs (a)(1) and

(a)(2) of this section to be the most severe, weight is to be added to

the door in 5.0 pound (2.26 Kg) increments and the test repeated until

a total of 15.0 pounds (66.72 N) has been added to the door. Before

performing each test cycle, the door is to be cycled 2 times to update

the profile. Similarly, starting from normal weight plus 15.0 pounds,

the test is to be repeated by subtracting weight in 5.0 pound

increments until a total of 15.0 pounds has been subtracted from the

door.

If I'm reading that right, it seems that "Inherent force activated secondary door sensors" might be "acceptable". I read through the WD iDrive manual again and, interestingly, there doesn't seem to be the normal user force adjustment control. It's definitely a very different beast from the normal opener and, as much as I dislike the lack of photo eyes, WD may be meeting the UL requirements. It did reverse very easily with light pressure at the halfway point.

Still...wouldn't do any harm at all to add or include the damn eyes, would it now?

[Bill Kibbel]

Photoelectric sensors are only one of the acceptable devices to meet the secondary entrapment protection requirements. There are also "edge sensors" or "inherent door sensors".

[Greg Simpson]

Originally posted by Scottpat

If I'm reading that correctly, that it for the door not the opener. An anti-pinch door, I believe is the solid door that swings up and not the type the rolls up in 3 or 4 sections. The door in the picture looks like one that would pinch the crap out of you!

[Greg Simpson]

Originally posted by Scottpat

If I'm reading that correctly, that it for the door not the opener. An anti-pinch door, I believe is the solid door that swings up and not the type the rolls up in 3 or 4 sections. The door in the picture looks like one that would pinch the crap out of you!

if you have a wayne dalton door 8 or 9000 this opener doesnt require a reverse sensor. but get ready to have problems with the open it is bad news mine breaks down 3 to 4 times a year and i am always waiting on service to fix it.