A photo-eye sensor consists of electric eyes, also known as garage door eyes, that are mounted on the door track, about six inches above the floor. If anything blocks the path of the electric eye, the door will stop and reverse. The entire purpose of this feature is to protect all your precious valuables from being trapped under your garage door (which is the largest and heaviest moving piece of machinery in the standard home).
This safety sensor (garage door eyes) was designed to be reliable, as any safety feature should be. However, there are times when it may not be working properly, and this is usually because the alignment is off. If you’re experiencing sporadic stopping and starting or flashing lights, here are some troubleshooting guidelines to get it working properly again:
Troubleshooting Guidelines
- Locate the two sensor devices and make sure that each one has a lit LED. If one is off or flickering, try readjusting the height to ensure it isn’t out of alignment with the other one. The two ‘eyes,’ or garage door eyes, should be looking directly into each other.
- Check to ensure that neither sensor is covered in dirt, cobwebs, mud, or any type of film that would keep them from being able to ‘communicate’ with each other. Wipe the sensors off with a damp cloth and then recheck the alignment.
- Verify that there are no loose or broken wires. If so, get out your Owner’s Manual and see if you can reconnect them.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us, your Utah garage door experts! A+ Garage Doors provides service and replacement of garage door springs, cables, rollers, openers, noisy squeaking doors, and cracked panels. Our springs are oil-tempered and are guaranteed for 10 years. Our quality springs last up to seven times longer than garage door springs used by competitors.
