How to tell if Garage Door Sensor is Bad 

A garage door closing on someone could just be too disastrous. To prevent accidental damage and injury that comes with accidental closing, all garage doors are required by federal law to have an automatic reverse feature called garage door sensor. This safety sensor automatically stops and re-verse a garage door if it senses an obstacle in the doorway.

Have you experienced the door closing lately without any regard for objects standing in its way? Or are you just curious to know the signs of a faulty garage door sensor? Well, here is a simple test you can carry out from time to time to ensure the sensors in your garage door are in top shape.

Telling if the Sensors in your Garage Door are working

Place some cardboard boxes underneath your garage door. Make sure the boxes have a height higher than that of the door sensors. Using a remote or the button on the garage wall, close the door and see what happens. The sensor is working if the door immediately stops closing and revert to the open position. But there is a problem if it doesn’t stop and crushes the boxes. Another similar occurrence happens when the door opens without issues but refuses to close.

In both cases, it is best to call a garage door technician for help. But before calling any company, here are 3 ways to troubleshoot the problem.

Realign the Sensors

A garage door has two sensors. The sensors are working properly if one emits a red light and the other a green light. If the green light works fine but the red light flashes, then the sensors aren’t aligned and need to be. You can stop the red flashing and correct the problem by tilting the sensors back to the right position.

Power Issues

If both sensors are not producing lights, it’s either something is wrong with the power supply or the sensor wiring is broken. First, make sure the sensors are connected to a power outlet and there is an electric supply to the outlet. Also, ensure that the wires that run from the sensor to the terminal on the back of the opener are not tangled, twisted, or broken.

If the sensors won’t still light up afterward, then you may have to call a wiring expert to replace a damaged outlet or fix the broken wire.

Check the Sensor Lenses

Dirt and dust accumulated on the sensors’ lenses could block the needed signal between the door and the lenses. Fix this problem by using a soft cloth to remove the accumulated dust around the sensors.

If all these troubleshooting options failed, you might want to take a look at the garage door sensor’s manual to check if anything in there can help you.

Garage Door Sensor Replacement

If the sensors still refuse to work as intended, chances are it’s time to install new sensors. Bob's Advance Garage can help determine whether the sensors need to be replaced or some wiring fixing needs to be made or garage door repair or garage door replacement needed. To prevent the door from accidentally closing on a loved one or pet, we recommend you switch to the door’s manual operation while you await an expert help. For sensor replacement or for your other garage door needs, call us at Bob's Advance Garage Doors for professional service.