Importance of Garage Door Sensor Repairs

One of the problems you may be experiencing with your garage door is an issue with your safety eye sensors. If your garage door sensors are not working correctly, you need to address the problem immediately. Garage door sensors are a required and vital safety feature of your garage door opener system, and any delay in repairing it could put you, your family or your property at risk.

If you’re in need of service, give us a call today at 503-632-3070.

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What Is a Garage Door Safety Sensor?

January 1, 1993, was a landmark day in garage door safety history — the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s rules for entrapment protection for automatic residential garage door openers came into effect on that day. These guidelines stated every automatic residential garage door opener manufactured on or after January 1, 1993, was required to come equipped with an electric eye or photo eye safety sensor to detect an obstruction underneath the door.

This meant that any obstruction in the path of a closing garage door would break the connection between the photo eye sensors, sending a signal to the door to reverse itself and not come down, thereby protecting whatever was underneath — be it a car, a pet or a human being — from being hit with the garage door.

Why Do I Need Replacement Safety Sensors or Safety Sensor Repair?

If your garage door opener’s electric eye safety sensors are not working, it is crucial that you repair the problem right away. You may encounter two issues with your garage door safety sensors:

  1. They are reading an obstruction when there is not one, meaning you will not be able to get your door to come down automatically
  2. They are not reading an obstruction when there is one, meaning the door could come down and injure someone or damage your property

Either problem does not necessarily mean you need to replace your safety sensors, as there could be an issue with your garage door safety sensor wires. Incorrect wiring can frequently lead to safety sensors not working correctly. There could be dust or debris covering one of the photo eyes, leading it to believe there is an obstruction when there is not. Similarly, if the eyes are not aligned properly, the system may incorrectly think there is an obstruction.

Contact Oregon City Garage Door for Professional Garage Door Sensor Repair and Replacement Services

If you have tried cleaning and aligning your photo eyes, there does not appear to be a wiring issue and you are still having trouble with the safety sensor mechanism, Oregon City Garage Door can help. If you are located anywhere in the Portland area — including Clackamas, Oregon City, Tigard, Tualatin, BeavertonWest Linn, Oak Grove, Happy Valley, Lake Oswego and other surrounding areas — we are happy to send one of our expert technicians with all the necessary expertise, parts and tools to replace or repair your garage door safety sensor system.

We’ll arrive promptly and perform superior work to get your garage door working properly again as soon as possible. To schedule service, please call us at 503-632-3070 or contact us online today.

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