The Key to Effective Safety Sensors

Each modern garage door opener comes with a pair of safety sensors. The two electronic components are set on the opposite sides of the door and one of them emits an infrared beam which the other captures. When this beam is interrupted by a person or object during the closing of the door, the sensors send a signal to the opener and the course of the door is reversed.

As you can see, the role of these components for the safety of people using the overhead door is extremely important. That is why you have to do everything necessary to keep them in good condition. The job of the owner includes proper maintenance. Find out how to get things right to enjoy optimal protection at all times.

Proper Care and Handling

There are four key things which you must do as part of every garage door opener sensors maintenance session. The first one involves cleaning. Remove the dust from the photo eyes using soft dry cloth. You can dampen the cloth a bit to clean the plastic casing. You must not use any chemicals for cleaning these components. The second step is to align the sensors so that they photo eyes face each other precisely. The more advanced models have special blinking lights that signal misalignment. With the more basic ones, you will simply have to confirm that everything is fine visually.

The next step involves inspection. You should check both the sensors and the wiring. If you notice any issues such as deep scratches, cuts, bending or fraying, you must have them fixed straight away. The fourth step is testing. The technicians of Garage Door Repair Thornwood recommend that two tests are performed for maximum effectiveness.

The first test involves opening the sectional door fully and placing a solid free-standing object in front of one of the sensors. When you press the button on the garage motor remote, the door must not move from its position. For the second test, you need to get a broomstick and wave it under the door while it is going down at the level of sensors. Again, the door must reverse its course immediately.

If the tests reveal problems, garage door repair is required immediately. The issue is typically with the sensors, but it may be with the opener as well.