Garage door sensors are one of the most overlooked components. It is responsible for preventing the garage door from opening or closing in on people. They are photoelectric eyes that detect obstructions that are on the way of the garage door whenever it opens or closes. These sensors are critical for safety hence should always be fixed immediately if they are defective. Some of the indications that a sensor is broken include the door not opening or closing.
Another sign is when the door shuts or opens, stops at halfway, and then reverses or gets stuck in the middle. These signs don’t fully indicate that the sensor is broken. The problem could also be another part like the springs, but they are indicators that the sensors could be damaged. Most sensors would only require cleaning, and the problem gets solved, but some will need the sensor to be replaced.
On that account, how do you replace the door sensor? In this article by Ridgeline Overhead Garage Door, we go through the steps you’ll need to follow.
Steps to replace a garage door sensor
1. Safety measures
- Ensure you have a safety manual and all the tools needed for electrical repairs. You will need to wear safety gear like gloves to protect yourself from harm from either the wires or any other accident that may occur while you replace the door; insulated gloves are preferred.
- Make sure that there is no power connected while you are working. This is an essential precaution. You do this by ensuring that the door opener is disconnected from the power supply or switch off power from the circuit breaker. This measure prevents accidents that might come about from power like an electric shock.
- Ensure that there are no children in your working space. Kids sometimes can make mistakes without knowing and accidentally harm themselves or cause more damage.
2. Sensors
Most sensors are secured to their brackets through a wing nut unless the garage door owner has improvised the sensor holders. Remove the wing nut from the safety sensor to disconnect the sensor from the holding bracket and pull it. If the sensor was connected to the frame by any other means, ensure that you do not pull too hard on the wire as you remove it. This will prevent another defect from occurring and make the sensor not work.
3. Cut Wires
Using pliers or a cutter, cut the sensor wires from a distance of an inch from the bad sensor to be replaced. As you cut the wire, ensure that the remaining wire is long enough to hold the new sensor without stretching. This will ensure there is enough slack in the control wire for you to connect the replacement sensor.
4. New Sensor
Taking the new sensor, separate the control wires, and remove the insulating sheath about half an inch; a process called stripping. Do the stripping gently, not to cut and waste too much wire, ensuring an allowance while connecting the new sensor back.
5. Connect Wires
Using a crimp wire nut, connect the white solid control wires to the white stripped sensor wires of the new sensor. In the same way, connect the black stripped control wires to the black stripped sensor wires. Follow the sensor wire to where it connects to the door opener to ensure there are no cuts or faults.
6. Ready for Use
After the connection, the sensor is ready for use, but it needs to be secured in its bracket. Slide the sensor back to its bracket and attach it firmly using the wing nut. For doors whose sensor is connected differently, ensure that the sensor is back to its original position and firmly attached to prevent getting loose and later becoming an issue. Repeat the same connection process for the other safety sensor if the sensor being used is not universal.
7. Connect Power
Reconnect the power supply to the garage door opener or turn the circuit breaker back on and make sure the door opener is ready.
8. Adjust sensors
Adjust the new safety sensors until the green indicator light in the receiving sensor glows bright and in a steady manner. It might be necessary to adjust both sensors to ensure they are well in line.
9. Test sensors
The last step is to make sure the sensors are working by simply putting an object in front of the garage door to the sensing beam. Try to close the door using your remote control; the garage door is supposed to remain open, and the motor unit lights are supposed to start blinking. Remove the object and try closing it without obstruction; the door should close normally. If the door does behave in this manner, consider calling an expert to handle the matter for you.
When you are replacing the garage door sensor yourself, always ensure that you have done a comprehensive analysis of the other issues that might be affecting your door. It is also wise to check the company’s credibility that you buy the replacement sensors from so that you are assured of quality. Lastly, since most garage doors also are entrances to some homes, if you decide to call an expert such as Ridgeline Overhead Garage Door, do your due diligence for the safety of you and your household.