Your garage door is equipped with a number of safety features that prevent damage to property or the door itself, as well as features that are meant to prevent any danger to you or your loved ones. Sometimes, these features aren’t working properly — and that can lead to a shutdown of your garage door. The door’s safety reversing sensors are vitally important but potentially frustrating if misaligned.
Signs of Misalignment
You’ll notice that your garage door’s safety reversing sensors are misaligned when the door won’t close from the remote and you see the garage door opener’s lights flashing. Most garage door openers have self-diagnostic capabilities and will know what’s going on.
For example, a LiftMaster garage door opener with Security Plus 2.0 features up and down arrow lights. If the safety reversing sensors are out of alignment, the up arrow will flash four times followed by the down arrow flashing six times. Similarly, on other LiftMaster garage doors, the Learn LED light will flash four times every 10 seconds when the safety reversing sensors are misaligned.
How to Solve the Problem
Your safety reversing sensors are located on either side of your garage door’s threshold. Find the receiving sensor, which features a green LED light. When your sensors are misaligned, these green LED lights will be off entirely, flickering or dim. Loosen the wing nut that keeps the sensor in place and then move the sensor around until it glows steadily and brightly. This indicates it’s back in alignment.
Test It Out
Before your job is done, you’ll want to test and make sure your safety reversing mechanism is working properly. While the garage door is closing, use a broom handle or something similar to wave across the threshold and break the sensors’ beams. If the sensors are back in alignment and working properly, the garage door should immediately begin reversing.
Get Help From Broten
When your garage door’s sensors aren’t working properly and you can’t seem to figure out why, call on the team at Broten Garage Door Sales. Since 1955, we’ve been serving Broward and Palm Beach Counties in Florida with the best in local garage door maintenance, repair and installation. We can help with garage door maintenance tips, garage door safety tips and the best in garage door service.
Contact us today about local garage door maintenance in Palm Beach and Broward Counties.