Any commercial or residential property values the presence of a sturdy garage door. These doors have sensors that maintain the working order and prevent the possibility of accidents. But what happens when they go out of track? You would need to know how to align garage door sensors again. Allow the details in this blog post to help you troubleshoot the issue.
Garage Door Sensors: The Gatekeepers of Safety
You will find garage door sensors connected to those automatic openers. These sensors avoid the disastrous falling of the door on children, vehicles or other objects. Every commercial or residential garage door demands a minimum of two sensors (one present at each of those track’s sides).
So, what happens when an object enters your garage door’s trajectory? These sensors prevent the door’s closing by signaling the automatic opener. And your garage door reverses open in the opposite direction. However, if the opener fails to work, you know it’s time for garage door opener repair.
The emitter and the receiver must be in proper alignment for efficient exchange of signals. Poor alignment would prevent the receiver from detecting signals and the door won’t close.
Common Signs of a Blocked Garage Door Sensor
If your garage door sensor is experiencing issues, here are some common symptoms. To start, the list includes:
- The door is not closing
- Closing attempt and then reversing
- No indicator LEDs on the door’s sensors
- A blinking dome light on the motor upon reversal of the door.
Now, let us move forward and understand how to align garage door sensors.
Getting in Line: How to Align Garage Door Sensors
Cut off the Power Supply to the Sensors- You can access your home’s breaker box to trip the fuse for the garage or manually turn off the switch. Be sure to wear electricity-resistant gloves when handling those wires. Look for the ones labeled “Class 00” or “Class 0” for better safety.
Start Removing the Sensor Screws– You will spot a few screws on the sensor’s mounting brackets. Follow an anticlockwise rotation by placing the screwdriver onto the screws. Loosening them would be more than enough.
Letting Sensors Slide to the Bottom- Are the screws loose enough for the mounting brackets to move freely? Now, use your bare hands to slide the sensor downward. Slide those sensors as down as possible by keeping them within their brackets.
Attaching the String and Tying the Knot– Attach a string’s end to any of those sensors and its bracket. Do that after sliding those sensors down to the lowest possible point. Now, be firm while tying the knot. Next, start threading that untied string across the garage’s opening and let that roll around the opposing sensor’s center. Finally, tie the knot as straight as you can.
Pay Attention to the String’s Level- Going beneath the thread, mark a level and allow it to run level across your doorway. It often requires you to press the level manually against that string for some time (a few seconds). Keep making adjustments to the level to align both sensors finally.
Tighten the Screws- As the level indicates proper alignment of sensors, start tightening the screws. Stop doing that as the door’s sensors become fixed to their new position.
The Finishing Touch– After confirming the alignment of both sensors, start removing the strings and testing the sensors after re-energizing the garage.
Inside the Ineffective Operation of Garage Door Sensors
Your garage door sensors may stop working because of many reasons. It could be:
- Excess accumulation of dirt.
- Damaged connection cables.
- The door’s sensors get overexposed to direct sunlight.
- Sensor damage due to excess door vibration.
- Poor alignment of garage door sensors.
Concluding Your Garage Door Sensor Adjustments
You can make some effective and safe adjustments after knowing how to align garage door sensors. However, if things seem exhaustive and you need professional help, don’t hesitate to contact the skilled technicians. They will help you to complete the project on time.