Sunlight and garage door sensors

What are my garage door sensors used for, and how do they work?

Your garage door sensors are an important part of the safety system in your garage door. They work by communicating with each other. One sensor sends a signal, and the other receives it. When there is something in the way of the sensors, the garage door will start to close then open back up. This happens to prevent damage to the garage door or whatever might be in the way. Without the sensors functioning properly serious damage can occur.

How do I know if my sensors are misaligned or if something is in the way?

Each sensor at the base of your garage door has a light. Usually one is green, and one is amber. For some modules when the sensors are misaligned (or of there is an obstruction) the lights on the sensors will blink indicating there is an issue. On other modules one of the lights will turn red.

I realigned the sensors last night. This morning my garage door wouldn’t shut again and the light is blinking red! What is the issue now?

Sometimes when a garage door is facing just the right angle, at certain times of the day the sun can be the culprit. If the sunlight shines directly on the sensors, it can interfere with their ability to detect objects or obstructions in the garage door’s path. This can potentially lead to the sensors failing to detect an object or person in the path of the door. Sunlight can also reflect off nearby surfaces, causing the door to open back unexpectedly. It is important that the sensors are installed by a professional garage door technician.

What do I do next?

If you’re having sunlight and sensor problems, we recommend scheduling an appointment to have one of our technicians come out and evaluate your garage door needs!