You can’t overstate the importance of garage door sensors. Not only do they prevent objects from being crushed by garage doors but they also protect human beings from potential injury.
This is why if your garage door sensors stop working, you need to replace them as soon as possible. The question is: how can you tell whether you need garage door replacement sensors? The answer: by reading this article.
Here are the biggest signs of garage door sensors not working.
There Are No Lights Shining from Your Garage Door Sensors
Generally speaking, when a set of garage door sensors is functional, it possesses a shining light of some kind. In most cases, this light will be red and will face toward the opposing sensor. If your sensors possess such lights and they’re not shining, you can be fairly certain that your sensors aren’t working.
There are a number of factors that can lead to non-functional lighting. There could be damage to the internal mechanisms of the sensors. On the other hand, the sensors could have become disconnected from the home’s power supply.
Regardless, professional attention is required. A garage door repair technician might be able to fix the problem with a repair. Note, though, that you might need a full sensor replacement.
The Lights on Your Garage Door Sensors Are Flickering
It’s not just the absence of sensor lights that are a problem. Flickering sensor lights are a problem as well.
Often, when sensor lights are flickering, it’s because the sensors are not lined up properly. As such, they aren’t able to detect the full range of the garage opening. This can result in the garage door closing, even when someone’s directly under it.
In most cases, this can be fixed with the realignment of the sensors. In some cases, however, the technician will have to replace the sensors entirely.
Your Garage Door Doesn’t Stop Closing When Something Moves Under It
The biggest sign that your garage door sensors need attention is that your garage door doesn’t stop closing when something moves underneath it. After all, this is the entire point of garage door sensors: to detect things moving through the garage door and stop it in the event of potential obstruction.
So, if your garage door continues to close despite an obstruction being present, there’s no doubt about it: the sensors are to blame.
Most garage door sensors are positioned 6 inches above the ground. Therefore, you can test this by placing an item taller than 6 inches under your garage door and attempting to close it. If it closes, your sensors aren’t working correctly.
Now, this might not require an instant replacement. However, at the very least, you’ll need to clean or repair your sensors. Your local garage door repair company can help you with the fix.
The Wires Connecting to Your Sensors Are Worn or Damaged
Another sign that you need to repair or replace your garage door sensors is that their wiring is damaged or worn. This wiring will soon lead to dysfunction if it hasn’t already.
There are all sorts of factors that can contribute to worn wiring. Pests could have bitten at the wiring. Time could have ravaged the wiring. There could even be weather damage to the wiring.
Regardless, this sign indicates a need for immediate repair. Call your local garage repair technician to schedule an appointment. They’ll assess the state of your sensors’ wiring and then either repair your sensors or replace them based on that assessment.
The Sensor Lenses Are Visibly Dirty
In order for garage door sensors to work properly, they must be able to shine into one another. Unfortunately, over time, garage door sensors can grow dirty. When this happens, the sensors become dysfunctional.
Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll immediately need to replace your sensors. However, you’ll most certainly need to clean them, at the very least. You can do so by wetting a towel slightly and rubbing the lenses until all residue is removed.
Regardless of what the correct course of action is, give a call to your local garage door repair company. They’ll find the source of the issue and make any repairs that might be necessary.
Your Garage Door Won’t Close at All
You push the button to close your garage door … and nothing happens. You try it once more and, sure enough, nothing happens.
What might be causing this? It could be a number of things. A common culprit is a bad connection between the garage door opener and the garage door opener remote.
On the other hand, faulty sensors could be the problem. If the sensors are dirty or out of alignment, they could detect things that aren’t actually there. If so, they’ll prevent the garage door from closing, despite your best efforts.
Now, there’s a potential to fix this with a repair. However, in many cases, it will require a full-on sensor replacement. Regardless, you should bring in a garage door repair technician for inspection.
In Need of Garage Door Replacement Sensors in Chicagoland?
Is your garage door safety sensor ailing? Need garage door repair or garage door sensor replacement in Chicagoland? If so, look no further than AG Smart Garage.
We’ve replaced the garage door safety sensors on countless Chicagoland area garages. If you need garage door help of any kind, we’re the ones to see.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment!