What Are Garage Door Sensors?
Sensors are essential garage door components that help keep you and your family safe.
Sensors prevent the garage door from closing when they detect that something is in the door’s path – that’s why they’re so important for safety.
Common Reasons Your Sensor Isn’t Working
- Your sensor isn’t getting power
- It needs to be cleaned – dust and debris on a sensor’s lens can obstruct its path. Try wiping the lenses with a soft, microfiber cloth to see if that solves the problem.
- Moisture has damaged components in one or both of the sensors
- The alignment of the sensors is off
- Your sensors have experienced wear and tear over the years and need to be replaced
How to Check Your Sensor’s Status
When you press the button on your remote or wall button in your garage, the door will open and close as long as your garage door sensor is functioning properly. If there’s something in the way, the door either won’t close completely or only close partially before reversing.
You can test your sensors by pushing the button to make the garage door come down and breaking the sensors’ path with an object such as a stick or empty cardboard box. If the door reverses instead of closing all the way, that means your sensors are working properly.
Note that you should never try to test the sensor by blocking the path with any body part or valuable object like your car. Garage doors are very heavy, and it’s too risky to test your sensors with anything important.
If you tested your sensors and they appear to be malfunctioning, it’s best to call trusted professionals to come inspect your garage door.
Extreme northern winters can also damage your garage door remote and sensor.
Sensors can crack when subjected to cold temperatures. Damaged sensors can prevent your garage door from opening or closing properly, and potentially lead to injury and damage to property.
Give us a call to come help you figure out the next steps, whether that’s repairing your existing sensors or installing new ones.
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“I called Precision Door Service to schedule an appointment to our garage door. We were able to get an appointment that day (and it was a Friday afternoon). The technician, Johnny, called when he was on his way and showed up right on time. He was super friendly and diagnosed the problem quickly. He quoted us assorted prices based on various solutions, giving us multiple choices so we could pick the best and most affordable option for us. I would highly recommend to everyone. Great experience, quality work, reliable and expedient.” – Stephanie W.
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“My garage door’s spring snapped in the middle of the day right before I was getting ready to leave the house. Precision was able to have a technician out to my house in under two hours. He was able to free my car for me first so I wouldn’t be late and completed the repair quickly for us. Would definitely recommend.” – Todd M.