An automatic garage door makes your life so much easier, but only if it’s working properly.

Dirty or defective garage sensors affect how your door works, or make it stop functioning altogether. A door stuck halfway, or a still-closed door when you’re in a hurry, is incredibly frustrating. A door that reverses by itself is potentially dangerous.

Make sure you avoid disasters by troubleshooting your automatic garage door problems and following some simple maintenance tips.

Signs Your Garage Sensors Need Attention

The sensors for your garage door might be dirty or defective if you’ve noticed things not quite working as they should.

Look out for these common signs of a failing sensor:

• Unreliable opening on the first try
• The door getting stuck halfway
• The door reversing action without a command
• Difficulty opening the door from your car or driveway
• Flickering LED lights on the sensors.

The good news is that there are some easy steps to take to maintain and repair many common garage sensor problems.

Common Sensor Problems and How to Solve Them

Before you call a garage door expert to help, assess the problem yourself. It could be that your sensors simply need to be cleaned.

Here are some common problems to check before you ask an expert to repair or replace your garage door sensors.

Dirty Sensors

Dust and grime easily build up on your garage doors over time and it’s an easy fix.

Make sure your sensors are clear of any debris or overhanging branches on the exterior. Clear away any storage boxes or shelving that may be interfering with your internal sensors.

Clean your sensors and door with warm soapy water, then leave to dry.

Misaligned Sensors

Over time, the vibration of your garage door opening and closing can slowly knock your sensors out of place if the wall mounts aren’t properly secured.

Make sure your wall mounts are fixed tight. Next, gently loosen the fixings on your sensors and re-position them before tightening the fixture up again. You may need to try a couple of times to get the sensor back in the right place.

A Loose or Shorted Wire

Check your sensor fittings and wires. You may find a wire has come loose from the sensor. A more serious problem is a wire that’s shorted out.

Before you touch any electrical wires to repair or replace, always turn off your main electric unit. If you’re not experienced with this type of repair, it’s always best to call a professional to help out, so everyone remains safe.

Dead Door Remote Batteries

It’s an obvious one but something many people forget. Does your door work fine from inside your garage, but not outside? It could be your remote.

Try replacing the batteries in your remote and trying again. If this still doesn’t work, but everything else seems fine, you may have a problem inside the remote. In this case, a replacement garage door opener could solve the issue.

Direct Sunlight on the Sensor

The mirrors inside your sensors sometimes get confused when positioned directly in bright sunlight. Your sensors might have moved over time. If they sometimes work at night, but not in bright sunlight, they probably need a gentle shift in position.

You should be able to solve this by gently re-positioning the sensor with the instructions above to avoid direct beams of light.

Time to Get a New Automatic Garage Door?

If you’ve troubleshooted your garage sensors using the list above and the door is still not working, or is unreliable, it could be time to call an expert.

Our team offers repairs, as well as advice, on the best new automatic garage doors you should consider when replacing your existing one. Contact us today to chat about your garage door queries and we’ll help you fix or replace your door!