August 4, 2022

Garage door sensors are an important safety feature of your garage door. If your garage door sensor alignment is off, it can cause the door to not close properly or even stop working altogether. Garage door sensors help to ensure that the door opens and closes properly with the remote control, and they also help to keep you safe by preventing the door from closing on someone, or something, if there are any obstructions in the garage doorway.

In this blog post, we explain how garage door sensors work and we review how to align garage door sensors using a few simple steps.

How Garage Door Sensors Work

The safety sensors are located at the bottom of the door track on each side of the garage door, and they emit led lights/an infrared light beam that crosses the opening of the door. If that beam is interrupted in any way — by an object, person, or pet — the door will automatically stop and reverse. 

The sending/receiving sensor is a vital part of your garage door’s safety features, so it’s important to make sure they’re always working properly. If your safety sensors are misaligned, you might be in danger without realizing it. 

Luckily, realigning garage door sensors is a fairly simple process that you can do yourself in just a few minutes.

Four Steps To Fixing Your Sensor’s Alignment:

Step 1: Check The Sensor’s Power Source

The first thing that you need to do is to check the power source of the sensors. If they are not getting enough power, they will not be able to function properly. You can check the batteries or the electrical connection that runs to your home’s breaker box to make sure that everything is working correctly.

Step 2: Adjust The Sensors

If the eyes of the sensor are misaligned, meaning they are not communicating with each other correctly, you’ll need to manually adjust them back to place. Depending on your system, you may need to loosen screws or move other components in order for one sensor to move freely. A small light will come on if you correctly direct one device at the other. This light will inform you that they are in sync. While this is a safe adjustment that you can complete at home, you can always call a professional to help you out.

Step 3: Check For Obstructions

Another reason why your garage door sensors might not be working properly is that there might be something blocking them. Sometimes, dust or dirt can build up on the sensors and prevent them from working properly. You can try to clean the sensors with a soft cloth to remove any obstructions.

Step 4: Replace The Sensors

If none of these steps work, then you might need to replace the sensors. This is something that you should only do if you are comfortable with electrical work. If not, you can always call a professional.

Do Both Garage Door Sensors Need To Be Green?

No, only one garage door sensor needs to have green lights. If both sensors are red, then the alignment is off and needs to be fixed.

How Do I Know If My Garage Sensors Are Aligned?

There are a few ways that you can tell if your garage sensors are aligned. The first is by looking at the small light on each sensor. If they are both green, then they are in sync with each other. 

Another way to tell is by testing the system. To do this, simply place an object in between the two sensors. If the door does not open or close, then the sensors are aligned. If the door does open or close, then the sensors need to be adjusted.

Time To Get Started On Your Repair

While garage door sensors are a great invention, they are typically installed in an area where they can become easily misaligned. If your garage door sensor is not working properly, it is important to take the time to fix the problem. With a little patience and the simple tips above, you should be able to get your garage door sensor back in working order in no time! If you have any trouble, feel free to contact one of our garage door specialists.