Have you ever tried to close your garage door, and it immediately starts reversing? Chances are there’s an issue with your garage door safety sensors. Safety sensors, or photo eyes, are a critical part of your garage door system, as they’re needed to prevent accidents and keep you and your family safe.

What Are Garage Door Safety Sensors & Why Do They Matter?

Safety sensors are a pair of small sensors installed on either side of the track of your garage door, usually about 6 inches above the ground. One sensor is the sender, which emits an invisible infrared beam to the opposite sensor, or the receiver. If that beam is broken while your garage door is closing, it tells the motor to stop and reverse. It is possible that the sender sensor could have a red, yellow, or amber indicator light and the receiver sensor will have a green indicator light. When these indicator lights are solid, it means the sensors are working properly. All residential garage door openers manufactured since 1993 require some form of safety device to protect people, pets, and objects from injury or damage if they are in the door’s path. The opener will not be in compliance if the beam is tampered with, removed, or otherwise disengaged. The U.S. Federal Law UL 325 requires all garage doors to include safety mechanisms, such as garage door sensors. Even though there are other safety tools, sensors are the most common. Your garage must have an approved safety device, like sensors, on your garage door to be compliant.

When Is It a Safety Sensor Issue and How Should I Troubleshoot It?

Your door could be experiencing issues with the safety sensors if any of the following occur:

• Your door opens fine but refuses to close
• Your door closes part way and reverses
• Your overhead opener light flashes
• The LED indicator lights on the sensors themselves are blinking or not visible

If any of these issues occur, here are a few tips to rectify the problem:

• Check for obstructions & make sure nothing is sitting in front of the sensors. If there are no obvious interferences, clean the lenses themselves. Dust, dirt, cobwebs, snow, or raindrops could be in the way of that infrared light. Use a soft, dry cloth and gently wipe the glass lenses on both sensors.
• Try realigning the sensors. The sensors must face each other precisely and even the slightest shift can prevent the door from closing. Adjust the brackets until the alignment indicator lights are solid.
• Try closing your door during different times of the day. If it works intermittently, there’s a chance the sun may be interfering with the infrared beam. You can try creating a “sun shield” on the sending sensor by using a piece of cardboard to block the sun or call us to install sun shields.
• If the LED light indicators are blinking, this means the sensors are misaligned or dirty. If the light indicators aren’t lit at all, this indicates a power or wiring issue you may need to schedule a service call. 

If you’re unable to rectify the issues after these tips, give us a call. We’ll be able to help fix the issue in no time and make sure your overhead door system is compliant!