To help prevent damage of property and injuries, manufacturers usually fit garage doors with photo eyes. This is a safety feature that works by using a beam, which when interrupted, breaks the garage door circuit, something that keeps the garage door from closing.
However, this safety feature can become a nuisance especially if there is a problem with the photo eye. In such cases, it will keep the door from closing even when there is nothing in the way. Here are tips that will come in handy in helping you deal with a garage door photo eye problem.
A dirty eye
Dirt on one of the garage door photo eye sensors could cause your garage door not to open. This is because dirt usually interferes with the transmission and reception of the emitted beam. It will therefore give a something-is-in-the-way illusion and hence may cause the breaking of the garage door's circuit.
If this is the case, cleaning the sensors will be enough to fix your garage door problem. To do so, all you will need is a damp cloth. Use it to remove any traces of cobwebs and dirt on the sensors. When doing so, take care not to scratch the sensor glass because any scratches can also interfere with the transmission of the beam, something that may complicate your garage door problems.
Alignment problem
If cleaning the garage door sensors doesn't work, then you are possibly dealing with an alignment problem. This is because improperly aligned photo eye sensors can cause the garage door to be on a circuit-break-mode since the beam of light emitted on one end won't reach the other end – same effect as when there is something obstructing the garage door.
To get your door working again, loosen the bolts and screws of the pivot bracket supporting one of the sensors. This should make it possible for you to move the bracket around. Try adjusting it slightly – up-down and in-out movements will do – until the sensors' lights come back on. If they do, secure the pivot bracket in place by tightening its bolts and screws. That should be enough to get your garage door working again.
However, if this still doesn't solve your problem, then your garage door photo eyes may be having a wiring problem. Cut photo eye wires may be causing the system to malfunction. There is also the possibility that your garage door sensors might have been installed at different heights, a problem that simple pivot bracket adjustments cannot solve. In such cases, contacting a garage door installation company is advisable.
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