Battery backup and safety upgrades

• Battery backup fitted, so the door runs for a limited number of cycles in a power cut
• Pressure-sensitive safety edge replaced on the bottom rail
• Photocell pair replaced or added across the opening
• Door tested after fitting to check it stops and reverses as it should

What does a battery backup do on an electric roller door?

A battery backup unit powers your electric roller door during a power cut, for a limited number of open and close cycles.

It connects to the door's control system and charges from the mains while the power is on. If the supply fails, the unit takes over so you can still get the car in or out without using the manual override. Once the power returns, it recharges ready for next time.

The number of cycles depends on the unit, the motor and the size of the door, so treat it as a way through a short cut rather than a replacement for mains power. Your manual override still matters, and our guide to opening an electric roller door in a power cut explains how to use it. A battery unit is most useful where the garage is your main way in, or where turning a crank handle is difficult for you.

What safety devices should an electric roller garage door have?

An electric roller door should have a safety edge, photocells or both, so it stops or reverses when it touches or detects something in its path.

• Safety edge: a pressure-sensitive strip along the bottom rail. If it touches a person, pet, car or object while closing, the door stops or reverses.
• Photocells: a sender and receiver mounted either side of the opening. If something breaks the beam, the door won't close onto it.

Older doors sometimes have only one of these, or devices that are worn, cracked or damaged. Replacing them, or adding photocells where the control box allows, is one of the most worthwhile upgrades you can make, especially if children, pets or bicycles are often near the garage. Our roller garage door safety guide covers what to check at home each month.

How much do battery backup and safety upgrades cost?

Each upgrade has its own fitted price, agreed before we come out, so you can choose one or combine them on a single visit.

• Battery backup unit, fitted: £149–£279 inc VAT
• Safety edge replaced on the bottom rail: £159–£295 inc VAT
• Photocell pair replaced across the opening: £99–£189 inc VAT

Prices include fitting and testing the door afterwards. If your door has never had photocells, adding them can need extra wiring, so we confirm the price for your control box before booking. If we find another fault while we're there, it's explained and quoted before any further parts are fitted. All home prices include VAT at 20%.

Will a battery backup or new safety device work with my door?

Battery units and safety devices are made for particular motors and control boxes, so we check compatibility with your door before the visit is booked.

The quickest way to start is to tell us what's written on the control box label, or the make of the motor if you know it. A description of the bottom rail and any existing photocells also helps us work out which units suit your door.

If your control box can't take a battery unit, or no compatible safety device is available, we'll say so. Sometimes the answer is a replacement control box or motor, which we'd price separately, and on an older door it may be worth comparing that with a new door. We won't fit parts that don't suit your system just to complete a visit, and nothing is fitted until you've agreed the price.

How does an upgrade visit work?

An upgrade visit runs in four steps: you tell us about the door, we confirm the price, the visit is booked, and any extra parts are quoted before they're fitted.

1. Tell us the make of the motor or control box if you know it, and which upgrades you're interested in.
2. We confirm compatibility and the price of the visit and parts.
3. The visit is booked, with the date confirmed in writing once an engineer is available.
4. On the day, the upgrade is fitted and the door is tested to check the safety devices stop and reverse it as they should.

Before we leave, we show you how to test the safety edge or photocells. Testing them monthly, as the manufacturer's instructions describe, is one of the simplest ways to keep an electric door safe. It's also worth checking the battery unit's indicator from time to time, if it has one.

Guide prices for battery backup and safety upgrades

Guide prices for homes. The visit price is agreed before we come out, and any parts are quoted before they are fitted.

Guide prices for homes, last reviewed 25 October 2026. Your written quote is the price. See the full price list.

How does a visit work?

1. STEP 01

   Tell us about the door

   Describe the door and what you need, with a photo or video if you can.

2. STEP 02

   Agree the visit price

   We confirm the visit price before anyone comes out.

3. STEP 03

   Visit

   The engineer finds the cause and makes the door safe where possible.

4. STEP 04

   Parts quoted first

   Any parts are quoted before they are fitted, so you decide.

Questions about battery backup and safety upgrades

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