A garage door sensor is an electronic door that follows a set of instructions from a remote control device. The user uses a remote to control how the garage door opens and closes without manually closing or opening the door garage. The garage door sensors have been of great help to car owners when their functionality is of great performance.
Almost every user who has a garage door sensor honestly faces problems of the door sensor not working properly or even working opposite of the way the door is supposed to operate. When inside the vehicle when leaving or arriving at the door sensor you just have to direct the remote towards the door and click according to the instruction you tend to do but unfortunately, it fails.
For the sensor to work, you have to press the remote several times. Keeping that aside my article below will describe how you will be able to track and correct the problems experienced in the garage door sensor. Some easy explanation is provided to enable the sensors to work as per our instructions. Lastly, frequently asked questions and a summary is provided for our benefit.
How to trick garage door sensors
I think you have arrived at the answers to your problem because from here onwards you will be able to trick the garage door sensors by yourself. The problem has been a headache to many users.
| Technique | function | Essential products |
| Identify physical obstruction from garage door | Helps to know the issue with the garage door | |
| Blockage from the sun | Prevents the sun from penetrating using an electrical tape | Check Amazon for the best electrical tape |
| Lack of obstructions |
i. Identify physical obstruction from garage door
Damage to any part of the system cannot result in shut as a result of garage door openers. It is always recommended to ensure nothing like garbage cans and gas cans blocks the space between the sensors.
Always remove the obstruction in the garage door with a lot of care to prevent creating damages to other safe parts of the motor. It is good to do an inspection on your garage door often to seek any problems earlier before it becomes a headache to users.
ii. Blockage from the sun
To correct the issue you need a pair of wire strippers and electrical tape. You can testify this by blocking the sensors from the sun and using a remote to see if it works. It is better to understand which side is best to work with.
It is good to keep your sensors from direct sunlight as it might cause some negative issues to the garage door which later can be hazardous and a nightmare to control. Sometimes precaution is better than control.
iii. Lack of obstructions
Hitting the button on the wall or with the help of a remote causes the door to lower down and then rise again and the bulbs start to light. Lack of barriers indicates that your motor and the sensors are in good condition and the maintenance have been of higher attention.
Reasons include:
1. Check before replacing anything
Inspect if the LED beam tampers in the sensors. Un-uniform lighting of the LED light in the garage door can be corrected in a manual set-up so that all lights light uniformly. This is the first step to do before trying anything even if you are an expert in this field. The check method helps you gather all the issues available in the system.
Ensure the motor is clean or if you find dirt or dust wipe it out with a clean cloth carefully. Dust prevents the motor from controlling the sensor which instructs the garage door what to do. Neatness will always increase the lifespan of your equipment connected to the garage door. When the equipment is clean then you are free to form a dome of the basic issues in the motor.
Always pay close attention to the garage door and the remote. Higher maintenance prevents you from using a lot of new equipment. When you find an issue, call a technician for help.
2. Reconnect new one
Installing new garage door sensors is not a headache to any aggressive user. What you have to do is to identify the location of the sensors. In many instances, the sensors are positioned at the sides of the garage door facing each other at the same height.
As a user, you can always separate the security sensors and the garage door from one another if you cut through the white and black cable about an inch. Following the correct procedures that you used to uninstall the sensors, the same method can help install new sensors to the garage door.
After you identify where the black and white cable connects you are good to connect and make your connection work. It is good to keep yourself safe when operating with the wires provided the power switch is on. Remember to turn off the power connection before routing the wires.
3. Surface the sensors towards each other
When you are done connecting the sensors to the door ensure that the sensors are facing towards each other and they are located at the same height from the ground. Enough height prevents it from creating an imbalance of the garage door.
Sometimes you can decide to remove the sensors from the motor but not from the opener to allow space for the home pets to run around without causing a commotion with the gate. Surfacing is done by loosening some parts of the garage door opener to create enough space.
Surfacing the sensors towards each other enables the instruction sent by the remote to be performed by the sensors at a shorter time. Make sure to keep the sensors at the correct positions to prevent performing undesired tasks.
4. Remote attached to the vehicle
This is the new technological advancement that has brought comfort to garage door owners who don’t have to take their hands outside the car to press the remote control to close or open the garage door. The remote is just powered by the vehicle which sends an instruction to the garage door sensors to perform desired tasks.
The car uses the infrared radio which when pressed sends instructions to the gate to open or close as commanded by the user. The car sends the programmed instructions activated to move out or get in. Remember without the infrared light from the vehicle sensors cannot respond to the instructions given from the remote.
Always keep your sensors in the vehicle safe and tamper with children because it can land into a deep mess because you have to contact a qualified technician or your vehicle will have to stay outside for the whole night until the issue is corrected.
5. Troubleshooting
The dirt between the LED beams of light must be wiped out before the motor gets destroyed. Maintenance of the motor cleanness is a very crucial step that everyone posing the garage door should always consider ensuring a well-performing garage door.
All loose nuts in the motor and the garage door sensors should be handled with lots of care to prevent damage to the sensors. Ensure the sensors and the motor are fully positioned in their locations to enable better performance of the gate.
As a user, you have to keep your eyes and ears always open when opening and closing the garage door to help understand and know where the origin of the issue you are experiencing. Seek help if you find that you can’t help out or correct the problem you have just found.
6. Do it manually
Although tiresome for some users, others prefer to open and close their garage door manually. The help of cords in the garage door which is red near the motor allows the user to perform a manual operation when pulled.
When the manual operation is turned on it makes it easy for the user to be able to close and open the door. But with the presence of props in your garage, it is even more tiresome to open and close the door at the same time.
It is better to remove the props for easy opening and closing of the door. The props can be eliminated by hitting them away when another person is holding the garage door. After the elimination of the props, you have successfully changed your garage door from automatic mode to manual.
You might be interested to know about Easy Troubleshoot of Genie Garage Door Opener Buzzes but Won’t Open
Frequently asked questions;
- How long can a garage door sensor last in functionality?
If a garage door sensor is well maintained and managed the battery life can last within 5 years from the date of installation. To replace the low battery always follow the steps and instructions carefully.
Conclusion
If your garage door continues to show issues don’t look at it as it is your door only. Many people all over the world experience a lot of issues about their gates not working or the garage door performance being poor. The lack of response of the garage door with the remote sensor is an obvious problem to all users.
Maintenance and proper management of your garage door increase the lifespan for experiencing problems. Some issues can be fixed by yourself. You can also reach out to some external sources of garage door sensors to help you understand well on garage doors. If you can’t fix your issue or become beyond your power you can always contact an expert who can troubleshoot and solve the problem.
