New door/Old opener

[sepefrio]

When are garage door openers required to have the optical sensors installed. Did a house today that did not have optical sensors. The door was new, but the opener was not. Are the sensors part of the door, or the opener? My common sense says the opener, but who ever said code and common sense always coincide?

[hausdok]

The optical sensors are required when you equip any overhead door with an operator that was manufactured post 1993.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[sepefrio]

Mike, OK and I may again just be putting to much into it. The door was installed post 1993, but the operator, which was already in place prior to the new door, is pre 1993. So, is that saying, that since the door is post 1993, and when it was installed, and although it was hooked up to the older operator, the sensors are required? Or is it based on the installation of the operator?

[hausdok]

Hi,

I understood what you were saying the first time. The only thing that has changed is the door. Sensors are only required when the operator was manufactured post 1993. Lets put it this way - if there wasn't an operator would you still have asked the question? The rule applies to the operator.

Does it make sense to recommend that they have optical sensors? Sure, but if you're going to recommend they spend the money to do that, they might as well install a new opener.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[sepefrio]

OK thanks bud, just wanted to be sure.

[Tom Raymond]

If a contractor replaces a garage door, and the existing opener is pre 1993, it is a violation of New York State General Business Law 309 (k) for the contractor to reconnect that opener. It is also a violation of that same law to service that opener unless it was equipped with both auto-reverse and electric eyes.

Tom

Homeowners can and do reconnect old openers.

[hausdok]

Okay,

But I don't think that's the answer he was looking for. That's fine for New York, and anywhere else where there are special laws related to overhead doors and openers. There may even be a similar law in his own state. He can probably find out whether his own state has special rules by "googling overhead door openers" and then searching within the search for Virginia Beach.

A few years ago when I was doing a lot of digging around on the net for various rules related to overhead doors and openers, I found where several states had adopted their own rules completely independent of 16CFR1211 so that they wouldn't have to rely on the feds to enforce rules related to doors and operators.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Tom Raymond]

Mike,

Didn't we just have a thread extolling the virtues of HI's doing their own research?

The NYS law that I cited is, IIRC, the federal law almost verbatum. Sorry I don't have that reference in front of me.

Tom

[hausdok]

Again,

His original question was whether the sensors are part of the door or the opener. They are part of the opener and nothing in the federal law pertaining to openers - 16CFR1211 - says that an old opener must be retrofitted with secondary entrapment devices when the door is replaced. States, counties, or municipalities might have their own rules but there is nothing in the Federal Law pertaining to openers that says that. If you can find it in there I'll be happy to acknowledge that I've got my head tucked up my rump but I don't think you will.

Here it is if you want to look

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike