Federal and state agencies issue updated building codes constantly. In 2019, the California state legislature created a law to improve the functionality and safety of garage doors. According to the specifics of the law, all new garage doors and remote garage door openers must have an independent battery backup system to allow users access in case of a power outage. This law intends to provide homeowners with a way to escape their homes if there is no electricity to open the garage door.
Garage Door Requirements
The law in California now stipulates that all new garage door installations that utilize electric power must include a battery backup system. It also makes it mandatory for preexisting garage doors to be upgraded with a battery backup system. That applies to all garage doors in the state regardless of how close the home might be to a wildfire zone.
The garage door law also has implications for all garage door sellers and manufacturers. That means that every automatic system that is sold must come with a battery backup. If they are found in violation of the law, those sellers can face a fine of up to $1,000 per incident. Property owners could also be fined up to $500 if they do not comply with the garage door requirements. The lack of a battery backup system might become an issue if your home goes through an inspection for sale or appraisal.
Keeping the Family Safe
As a San Diego homeowner, you and everyone living in the household must understand all of your garage door’s safety features. That is vitally important if there is a power outage. A power outage can happen if there is a severe storm or damage to a local transformer. Californians also occasionally experience rolling blackouts when there are extreme heat conditions. With a battery backup system in place, you will always have the ability to open your garage door.
Before the new law, garage door safety regulations required that every garage door opener was designed with a manual release cord that hangs from the garage door’s rolling track. When pulling on this cord, the door should open manually. However, for some folks, that cord might be out of reach. Additionally, you need a certain amount of strength to lift a garage door. Not everyone has that kind of dexterity. That is especially true with seniors or anyone with mobility issues.
With a garage door opener on a battery backup system that is now required by the new California law, opening the door should be as easy as it is when there is power. Your garage door remote will be programmed on the same frequency as the battery backup system. That means you don’t need two remotes. That could be confusing, especially in an emergency.
The amount of available power on the battery backup system varies depending on the make and model of the device. Typically, you should be able to open and close your garage door by utilizing the battery backup system several times within a 24-hour period. If there are indications the power outage will go on longer, you should use the battery backup sparingly.
It is also important that you and your family test out the battery backup system. You can run that test by simply unplugging your garage door from its electric power source. At that moment, the backup battery system will kick into gear, and everyone can take a turn opening the door with a remote or a control switch on the garage wall. Remember to plug the primary system back in when you finish the testing, or the battery power level will drop.
Battery Power Levels
The garage door battery backup is not like the batteries in your television remote control. It is closer in size to a car battery. It will typically be installed above the motor of your main garage door opening system. A cable will run from the battery to the main system, which will be activated automatically in the event of a power loss.
As with any battery, your garage door backup battery can wear down over time. Many manufacturers have designed their batteries with signals that indicate the current strength level of the battery. If the battery has a full charge, there will be a green light. A red light signals that the battery has no power left and needs to be replaced. Some systems also have a flashing orange light that indicates the power levels are dropping, and replacement should be done as soon as possible. Additionally, some systems operate like smoke alarms and emit a beeping sound when the battery needs replacing.
Given the battery’s position, the replacement job is best handled by the experienced technicians working for ADS Automatic Door Specialists. That is especially true if we installed the original system. Keep in mind that these batteries automatically recharge when plugged into a power source. However, they will eventually wear down. The average garage door battery backup lasts two to three years before it needs replacement. It might help to note the day of your installation so you can track the time and plan ahead for a replacement.
Reasons for the Garage Door Law
The idea of homeowners needing a battery backup system for their garage doors was not much of an issue until the devastating California wildfires that occurred in 2017. Those fires quickly overwhelmed first responders and residents as they swept through over a million acres of land all throughout the state. A major destructive element of the fires were power outages. The unintended consequences of those outages were garage door failure. That hindered the evacuation of dozens of residents and was a contributing factor in several deaths.
In the aftermath of those fires, the California legislature acted swiftly to pass Senate Bill 969. That law stipulated the new regulations for every home with an automatic garage door opening system to have a battery backup. In 2018, California Governor Jerry Brown signed the law, and it took effect the following July 1st.
Getting a Garage Door Upgrade
If you are looking to buy a home that has an automatic garage door system already installed, you want to have it inspected to ensure that the battery backup power source is in place and working properly. If you’re in a home that still needs to be in compliance with the new law, a call to ADS Automatic Door Specialists can take care of that task. We are an experienced and knowledgeable garage door installer that has put in automatic and backup systems for homes and businesses throughout the San Diego area.
Depending on the age of your current automatic door opening system, it might not be adaptable to a battery backup system. However, if it is an older unit without access ports, then you might need to replace the entire system. That is not necessarily a bad thing as it could prevent a breakdown due to the unit’s age. In other words, you’ll need to replace it sooner or later, and adding the backup battery system makes good sense.
In addition to the automatic garage door openers, we also can replace the actual doors themselves. We also provide the same quality of work with gate installations. If you need to replace or upgrade your existing garage door opening system, call to schedule an appointment with ADS Automatic Door Specialists today.
