The sensors on your garage door play a very important role. They are responsible for detecting any kind of objects that could be in the way of the up and down movement of garage doors. This could be anything from a basketball, to a car, or even a pet or a child. Your garage door safety sensors essentially operate as the “eyes” of your garage and are one of the most important safety features. The Consumer Product Safety Commission passed a law that set safety standards for all residential garage doors way back in 1991. This legislation stated that all garage doors must be equipped with an inherent reversing mechanism that will reverse the door if something is in the way. This mechanism usually relies on electric eyes to achieve this. Even though garage door sensors have been mandatory features for almost 30 years, many homeowners often forget they are even there. When do garage door sensors need to be replaced, and when is it just a simple fix? 

Potential Garage Door Sensor Repair Issues 

Sometimes garage door sensors are simply dirty and full of excess debris. In this case, they just need to be brushed off and will usually work as good as new. Other times, there can be deeper issues and the sensors will need to be fully replaced. As a homeowner, it is important to pay attention to all of the components of your garage door to keep an eye out for potential issues. If you fail to do so, you are essentially costing yourself extra time and money that could otherwise be saved with a small amount of careful planning and observation. 

Your garage door sensors are what will prevent your door from closing on people and objects when it shouldn’t be. These sensors use photoelectric eyes to detect anything that might be getting in the way of a garage door closing, and then the door automatically goes back up to avoid closing on it. Some telltale signs that your garage door safety sensors need immediate replacing is if you keep pushing the button on the remote or the internal button and the door simply will not close. 

Another sign is when your door constantly closes halfway, but then immediately retracts, happening every time. Sometimes when this happens, you might just need to clear some debris from the lens of your garage door safety sensor. Other times, you will need to replace the devices entirely. Additionally, your garage door sensors might be picking up issues with other components, such as worn or faulty springs, cables, rollers, and so on. The LED lights on your garage door sensors are attached using screws, which can sometimes come loose, especially after a few years. If your garage door isn’t closing properly, be sure to check if the screws on your sensors have come loose. If so, taking a simple screwdriver to them and tightening them will usually solve the issue. If you try to clear the debris from your garage door sensors and tighten the screws, and the door still won’t close, there is a good chance that some more in-depth garage door sensor repair services are necessary. 

Garage Door Sensor Not Working? Call the Best in The Business

If you attempt to open and close your garage door and it doesn’t do so, even after you’ve cleaned the sensor lens and tightened the screws, it’s time to call the best in the garage door sensor repair business here at Garage Door in My Area. We offer comprehensive, affordable pricing, and fast and friendly service. We will come out for emergency calls at any time, and will do so as quickly as possible. Whether it’s a full installation or a simple, quick fix, you can trust the experienced techs here at Garage Door in My Area to get the job done the right way, every time. We’ll make sure your issues with your garage door sensor not working get resolved immediately. Give us a call today for more information about your garage door safety sensor, or to schedule an appointment.