Is your Garage Door Bushfire Ready?
Nov 2022
With bushfire season well and truly upon us, now is the time to ensure your garage door is part of your fire plan! If you park your car in your garage, your garage door opener should be included in your bushfire survival plan so that if you do have to evacuate, it is as easy as possible. In the case of a power outage, it’s important that you know how to open your garage door manually.
1. Garage Door Manual Release
Familiarise yourself and your family with the manual release cord as it will allow you to open the door when the power is out. Know where the cord is.
Roller garage door openers are usually to the side of the door, near the garage opening. The cord is almost always attached to this motor. Sectional and Tilt garage door openers are usually in the middle of the garage ceiling. The cord is almost always attached to this motor. Check that it is in good working order. It shouldn’t be frayed and should have a plastic handle at the end of the cord. To operate a manual release cord:
Pull the red cord down firmly once to manually release the door’s locking mechanism, The opener will make a clicking noise.
Walk over to the door to push it up manually. Do not try to pull the door using the manual release cord; it will snap under the load.
Take care when operating the manual release when the door is open, as it may fall rapidly due to weak or broken springs.
When power returns or it is safe to do so, re-engage the opener by pulling the red release cord down firmly.
All of Merlin’s garage door openers are fitted with manual release cords. View the range available here and the instructions here.
2. Automatic Garage Door Battery Backup
For extra peace of mind, installing Battery Backup will ensure your Garage Door Opener and its safety features can operate during a power outage.
Battery Backup is compatible with select Merlin Garage Door Openers: the SilentDrive Elite, the Commander Elite and the Commander Extreme and is integrated with the Commander Ultimate Garage Door Opener.
3. Cleverseal Brush Systems
Another preventative method to avoid bushfire embers entering your Garage is to install a Cleverseal Brush System. This system closes the gap between your garage door and wall, preventing not only embers from entering your garage but also cold drafts, pests, smoke, driving rain, excess water, dust and pollen. Learn more about Cleverseal Brush Systems here.
4. Regular Maintenance
Regular maintenance is also extremely important and you should conduct a quick reversal test and look for signs of wear and tear each month to ensure it’s working at its best. To test your garage doors’ reversing mechanism, place a solid object (e.g. a block of wood) at the base of the garage door’s path and set it to close. If the door doesn’t reverse in less than a second when it touches the object, we recommend having the door assessed by a professional. To ensure your garage door is bushfire ready chat with our team today.
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