Overview on Garage Door Sensors

The History of Garage Door Sensors

The first electric garage door opener was erected by C.G. Johnson in 1926, but the openers weren’t widely utilized until after World War II. After the war, Era Meter Company of Chicago began manufacturing electric openers that were operated by an outside keypad or a switch inside the garage.

In January 1993, the U.S. government passed legislation obliging that electric garage door openers installed after that date had to include safety sensors. Since then, every electric garage door opener has built-in sensors that prevent the door from closing if there are any obstructions in its path. This prevents damage to cars or other property and injuries or deaths of people and animals.

How Do Garage Door Sensors Work?

garage safety sensors transform electricity into an infrared beam of light to create an invisible tripwire. One sensor is referred to as the sending unit, and the other is called the receiving unit. Due to they’re close to the ground, the garage door sensors can detect small objects, children, animals, etc. When the sensors detect an obstruction, the door stops automatically closing and reverses direction.

How Do Garage Door Safety Sensors Look Like?

Garage door sensors are tiny, black boxes positioned a few inches from the floor on both sides of the garage door. The two sensors typically have indicator lights. The first one has a green light to indicate that the units are turned on. The second has a red light that means there are no obstructions between the sensors and that they can “see” each other.

Troubleshooting Garage Door Sensors

If you happen to experience malfunction with your garage door fully closing, your garage door safety sensors may be to blame. Here are two easy methods to decide if your sensors are malfunctioning:

• Firstly, the door closes the whole way. Although there being an obstruction in its path.
• Secondly, the garage door starts to close, then stops and reverses. Even though there are no obstructions in its path.

There are three main reasons cause garage door safety sensors malfunction: misalignment, dirty lenses, and pinched wires. We’ll take a closer look at each one and how you can remedy them below.

Misalignment

Due to their low location, it’s simply for garage door sensors to become misaligned. Thus, If one or both of the sensors show blinking lights, it means they’re not aligned. basically tighten their screws by using a screwdriver on the bracket or bend the bracket back into place.

Dirty Lenses

Perceive them exactly Like a camera lens, the garage door safety sensor’s photo eye is made of glass. They’re very small rounded and can easily get blind by dirt over time. To clean it, use a soft cloth and mild cleaner that won’t leave streaks. Removing dirt and residue from the surface of the photo eye can be an easy fix for sensor problems.

Pinched Wires

Sometimes, your garage door sensors may have pinched wires that drop their voltage, leading to inconsistency in its operation. To troubleshoot the problem, you might need to completely replace the entire system or contact a professional. However, You may need to disable your electric garage opener until it’s fixed to avoid any unexpected further damages.

Garage Door Company Rancho Cucamonga

Do you need a garage door assistance in Rancho Cucamonga? If so, Garage Door Repair Company in Rancho Cucamonga will be glad check, repair and maintain your garage door. Call us today to schedule your garage door installation. We offer services in garage door installation, repair, and maintenance. You can reach us at (909) 935-8807, or you can message us on our contact page.