What to Do about a Malfunctioning Garage Sensor

One of the most important safety features in your garage is the motion sensor, which prevents the door from closing when it senses that something is in the way. This averts such disasters as the garage door closing on a tool box, which can cause it to get a hung cable or go off its tracks. It can also prevent damage to your car if it’s halfway through the entrance when the garage door goes down. Most importantly, it prevents injury to children, adults, and animals, who all tend to dart in and out of a garage with blatant disregard of the danger of a closing garage door.

The Importance of Functional Sensors

A garage door weighs at least 100 pounds, and although the slow rate at which they close seems unthreatening, this weight can be very dangerous. For this reason, a garage door sensor is essential for the safe function of your home.

On the other hand, a malfunctioning garage door sensor can be one of the most frustrating things in the world. When the garage door keeps moving back up after you’ve told it to close, and you can’t find any obstruction to make it act quirky, you might just want to tear your hair out.

How Sensors Work

Garage door sensors work using a photo eye on either side of the door. They’re located a few inches above the ground. These eyes are connected with an infrared beam and must be able to “see” each other in order for the door to be allowed to close. If there’s anything obstructing that beam, impairing the eyes’ ability to connect, the garage door’s closing mechanism will be interrupted.

Quick Troubleshooting

If your garage door sensors are acting glitchy, here are three quick things to check right off the bat:

• Look at the lens on each sensor and see if either one is dirty. Large dust or debris can obscure the photo eye’s vision.
• Check both sensors to see if one has been knocked askew. If it’s out of alignment with the other, there won’t be a clear line of sight.
• Check the wiring that connects the sensors with the garage door opening mechanism. Often, a glitch will occur because something is off there.

If you’ve checked each of these problems and you’re still experiencing trouble with your garage door’s sensor, give us a call. We offer same-day service throughout the Wasatch front and we can get your garage door back to full functionality in a jiffy.