Imagine being caught in a situation wherein you go back home late at night only to find your garage door sensors damaged, and you’re completely clueless about how to handle the situation. This will definitely irk and stress you out. That won’t have to be the case when you know how to troubleshoot your garage door when the sensors are acting up.
Although there are other reasons why a garage door gets damaged, there are many usual cases wherein the leading cause of the problem comes from the sensors. Although contacting reliable experts near your area, like queencitygaragedoors.com can help you resolve these inevitable issues, it would be wise to know what’s causing the problem.
Here are some ways to resolve this dilemma when your garage door sensor starts to malfunction.
Check The Sensor Alignment
You can check the lights on your garage door sensors to determine whether they are functioning correctly. The indication that they’re running perfectly is that one light should be color green, which means that light is being sent here. The other one is red, which is the recipient of the light.
A blinking red light indicates misaligned sensors. When your garage is busy, it’s surprising how quickly the sensors can become misaligned. So, no need to panic as this is a recurring scenario. This is an unavoidable case for garage doors that always get opened and closed many times a day. You can contact garage repair service providers within your vicinity, such as garage door repair Concord NC contractors, and they’ll realign your sensors for you.
However, if you have the skill to do it yourself, you can align each light by moving it slightly. When the red light stops blinking, it indicates that your sensors are in their proper locations. It’s possible that the sun interferes with the light beams emitted from your sensor and causes this problem only at certain times of the day.
Cover the sensors with a piece of cardboard in case the sun’s rays damage them. But be careful not to block the light beam which receives from the other sensor.
Check The Wiring
A garage door typically lasts long, but it’s bound to encounter many issues within this time frame. Sometimes problems come from the wiring. Garage door sensors are usually connected to garage door openers by wires that extend up the wall and across the ceiling from the back of the sensor. Due to their length and placement, there could be chances of some portions being loose, twisted, or bitten by insects or pets. Sometimes there could be loose ends that might trigger the malfunctioning of the sensors. Before doing any troubleshooting procedures, check all the wirings first.
If your sensors seem to work intermittently, there may be a poor connection between the safety sensors and the garage door opener wiring. You can manually perform a test to see if the wires are the cause of the problem. To conduct the test, you need to move the wirings from different parts. Check their positions and move them until the signal can work back again. If the lights are turning on and off while you move the wires, that’s a sign that the problem originated from there.

Clean The Sensor Lenses
The lenses of door sensors can sometimes be covered with grime, dust, and dirt over time. No home is exempted from sensor lenses that accumulate dirt, and this is most likely the case for homes that are exposed to dirt and air pollution within their area. As a result, you will collect dust on your lenses, and the sensor might not function properly.
Especially if you live near a busy street or open your garage door frequently, the lenses of the sensors can easily get dirty. Moreover, when you reside in a humid or rain-prone city, the sensors might get wet and easily block signals from each other. The light beam can be blocked by dust and moisture, which results in malfunctioning sensors.
This issue can easily be resolved by wiping dirt off your sensors regularly. Make it a point to constantly wipe dust, grime, and soil off the sensor lenses. As for moisture seeping inside them, it’s best to unscrew and dismantle the case and let the insides dry up. Ensure that your sensor lens is cleaned at least once a year to prevent disruptions.
Ensure That There Is a Power Supply
Green means the power supply is operating normally, and no problems are caused. However, when both the green and red lights don’t turn on, you might want to check your power supply. You should also check the garage door cable if it’s disconnected. Aside from checking the wiring, make sure the outlet and power source are all in running condition.
If you’re not particularly skilled in dealing with your electrical connections, it’s best to hire an electrician. Voltage drops or power outages can cause the fuse to blow. Re-establishing the power supply will restore the sensors’ functionality. So, ask the professional to check and fix your electric power supply.
Conclusion
Safety is the primary purpose of garage door sensors. If someone or something is in the way, the door will not close. Because of this, figuring out if it’s a faulty sensor or if other issues are causing the malfunction is essential before suffering any damage or injuries in the long run. Hopefully, you have learned how to deal with the common issues of garage door sensors acting up with this guide.