Your garage door sensors are an essential part of your opening system. Door sensors tell the opening system if something is in the way of the door. Sometimes, the sensors act up. Today, we will be looking at what harms your garage door sensors and how you can protect them.
Have you ever been in a hurry, but when you go to close your garage door it goes down and goes back up. What’s even more frustrating, you may not be able to tell why it’s doing that. When you check the door sensors there is nothing in the way. So, why would your garage door sensors be acting up? Let’s take a look.
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Garage Door Sensors
Your garage door sensors are located at the bottom of each track. They face one another to create an invisible line. While the doors are closing, if anything crosses the line then the door automatically opens back up. This is considered a safety feature. Closing doors can cause damage to vehicles, personal items or are your pets. Not to mention your family. When door sensors are functioning correctly they prevent the doors from lowering and causing harm.
It’s possible that your sensors could be causing your doors to open even if nothing crosses the line. These issues require a little bit of troubleshooting and possibly some cleaning. Let’s list out the top three reasons your garage door sensors could be acting up.
Lenses
Sensors include lenses to help them see. Yet, the lenses could be the source of your garage door pains. Before you begin, take a moment to inspect the lenses of your garage door opener. Try not to touch them with your bare fingers. Smudges on the lenses could be part of your issue. as you inspect the lens, you’re going to look for three different things.
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Debris
Dirt or debris may have blown in and landed on your sensors. This can cause your sensors to trip unnecessarily. Take a moment to brush away any debris, and then tried to close your garage one more time. If that still doesn’t work move on to number two.
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Lenses Smudges
Just brushing away debris may not be enough to solve the issue. Find a soft cloth with a neutral cleaner and gently wipe away smudges on the lenses. Once again, trying to close your garage door. If that still doesn’t work move onto number three.
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Damage
If the lenses have been cleaned, but your problem persists, it is time to call a garage door professional. Your garage door sensors may have sustained some sort of damage. Blunt force damage or rain damage can often go unnoticed until the sensors no longer work. At this point, you may be looking at a replacement.
Of course, there are issues that can neither be wipes away or replaced. Reflections from the sun can sometimes cause an error in the sensor. As a temporary solution, most garage door openers have a bypass. On the main panel, you can hold down the garage open/close button to force it closed. Unfortunately, you now have to exit through another door.
Don’t let your garage door ruin your day. We can install a smart device to your existing garage door. If your door is in need of maintenance or repair, contact us today.
