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Your garage doors are an important part of your home’s security, comfort, and convenience. However, they can be hazardous if you don’t have the proper safety measures, which is why garage door sensors are required to protect your family from injuries and accidental death.
Learn more about garage door safety sensors, how they work, why they’re so important, and how to troubleshoot any problems with your sensors.
“It’s easy to take your garage door safety sensors for granted, but they’re an important part of yours and your family’s protection.”
What Is a Garage Door Safety Sensor?
Garage door sensors are a safety feature that prevents the garage door from closing when there are objects in the path, such as a vehicle or a person. Without them, anything that’s near the garage door is at risk of being harmed.
How Garage Door Safety Sensors Work
Safety sensors are the most common type of garage door sensors. If you have an electric garage door, these are a necessary safety component.
Garage door sensors have a red beam that runs the length of the garage door opening. If that beam is broken, indicating something is in its path, the sensors register this and stop the door from closing.
Depending on the sensor design, there are different indicator lights. Some sensors use a yellow light for the sending sensors and a green light for the receiving sensor. If your garage safety sensor is yellow, that usually means the sensor’s infrared beam path is clear.
If the garage door begins to close and an object suddenly blocks the beam, the door will stop closing and reverse direction to open again.
There are other types of garage door sensors that offer this safety feature – signaling the door to open if something is in the path. Some garage door sensors use pressure instead of a light beam, which can sense an object or person in the path of the garage door.
Though less common, carbon dioxide sensors are another option that is designed to open the garage door when the carbon dioxide levels in the garage get too high.
Why You Need a Garage Door Safety Sensor
Garage door sensors are a crucial safety feature to prevent the garage door from closing on people, pets, or objects that may cause injury or damage. Federal law has required that all garage doors in the US have safety sensors since 1993.
The most important aspect of safety sensors is protecting adults, children, and pets from being injured or killed by a closing garage door. Plenty of things can find their way into your garage door’s path as well, including vehicles, trash cans, or children’s toys, which can be damaged by the closing door.
Garage Door Safety Sensor Troubleshooting
Garage door sensors are very durable, but it’s possible for them to stop working properly on occasion. Naturally, this is a safety feature you want fixed as soon as possible.
Here are some common garage door sensor problems and troubleshooting tips:
Flashing Sensor Lights
If your sensor lights are flashing, this can indicate a problem with the alignment, wiring, or interference. Inspect the wires for any damage or loose connections and look for dirt, cobwebs, or other debris blocking the sensors.
You can try realigning both sensors to connect the light beams and see if that corrects the problem.
No Sensor Lights On
If your sensor lights don’t turn on at all, check the power source and wiring connections. If your sensor has LED batteries, test them to see if they need to be replaced. If neither of these methods works, you may need to replace the sensors.
Door Reverses without an Obstruction
Sensors work by detecting objects or people blocking the light beam. If your door reverses without an obstruction in the beam, it can indicate a problem with the sensors.
Try cleaning the lenses of both sensor units to ensure there’s no dirt or debris affecting the detection. You can also realign the sensors and make sure they face each other precisely to correct false readings.
Door Won’t Reverse When Blocked
If your door won’t reverse when it’s blocked, this is a serious safety concern that requires immediate service. The sensors can be misaligned or may have electrical problems, so be sure to contact a trained garage door technician immediately.
Often, sensor issues are caused by misalignment or wiring problems that you may be able to resolve on your own. However, if your garage safety sensor is not working doors after your interventions, contact a professional garage door technician to prevent any possible injuries to your family or damage to your property.
Ensure Your Garage’s Safety with Professional Garage Door Repair
It’s easy to take your garage door safety sensors for granted, but they’re an important part of yours and your family’s protection. If your garage door sensors aren’t working properly and need to be repaired or replaced, our professional garage door technicians can help. Contact us today to schedule an appointment for garage door replacement or repair!