Many people rely on their garage door as the main door they come in and out of. With the wear and tear, you eventually notice signs that it needs work. If the garage door is giving you issues, the garage door’s sensors may be at fault. Today, we at AAA Action Doors would like to discuss the basics of the garage door sensors and how they operate. Additionally, we would like to discuss common problems with garage door sensors.
What Does a Garage Door Sensor Do?
Its primary job is to stop the motion of the garage door and reverse its movement if it senses an obstruction, as a garage door sensor is, at its core, a safety device. Being required by law since 1993, these sensors have been a part of an integrated automatic garage door system. It will automatically stop and open the door back up if in the event the garage door is closing and senses an obstruction in its path.
How Do Garage Door Sensors Work?
Newer garage door sensors are photoelectric though older sensors used to be mechanical. Projecting an infrared beam from one end of the garage door to the other is the involvement. The garage door motion reverses automatically if anything interrupts the invisible beam. The garage door motion reverses automatically if anything interrupts the invisible beam. The garage door sensor quickly detects them and stops the garage door from closing if anything interrupts the invisible beam, whether it is a child on a bicycle, a pet, or anything else. Through this, your family is kept safe and vehicles out of harm’s way. Both designs work similarly as garage door sensors can have either a sender and receiver or a sender/receiver combo unit and a reflector.
Why are My Garage Door Sensors Not Lighting Up?
If your garage door can open just fine but will not close is the most common sign of a malfunctioning garage door sensor. For no apparent reason in the middle of its movement and go back up or down, you might also see the door stopping. Below are several common reasons the sensor is not operating.
1) Sensor Obstruction. It will not let the door function properly if in the event anything is blocking the path of the sensor. Including boxes, dry leaves, and pieces of paper, check carefully to see if anything is blocking the path of a sensor. It may be as obvious as a children’s toy or bicycle near the sensor in some accounts. Additionally, the sensor could be dirty and dusty. The sensors mounted near the bottom of your garage door should be checked to see if it is covered with dust or debris. In order to wipe them clean, you can use some paper towels and a general-purpose home cleaning solution.
2) Sensor Misalignment. For the safety system to work, the sensors (or sensor and reflector) on either side of your garage door need to be in perfect alignment. Try aligning them using the mounting screws, since it is easy to knock them out of alignment accidentally. Alight on the sensor lights up or changes color when they’re in alignment, usually.
Garage Door Repair, Replacement & More in Aliante, Centennial, Desert Shores, Eldorado, Enterprise, Green Valley Ranch, Henderson, Lone Mountain Village, North LV, Peccole Ranch, Paradise, Silverado Ranch, Spring Valley, Summerlin, Sunrise Manor, Tuscany Village, Whitney, Winchester & Las Vegas Nevada
When you need garage door repairs or other services in the Las Vegas Valley, call AAA Action Doors and let us assist you with quality services.
