Garage Door Beam Sensor Alignment

Tie a string long enough to span the width of the garage door around the bracket on one side so that the string will line up with the sensor lens.

Garage door beam sensor alignment.

In general garage door sensors block the door from closing if there is an object nearby. The infrared beam from the garage door opener sensors isn t able to be seen by human eyes. If the lights on the sensors are lit it probably means that there is another reason that your garage door isn t closing. One of the sensors directs a beam toward the other.

These are located slightly above the ground on both the right and left sides of the garage doors. Garage door sensors work by shooting a beam of infrared light across the entrance of your garage to the sensor on the other side. Pull the string taut and tie to the other bracket in the same position. Once you have finished doing this you should see a beam.

To adjust the sensor loosen the wing nut with your wrench and set t it to the exact height that the other sensor is at. The units are placed near the ground on either side of the garage door. It operates on a low voltage beam which completed the switch when the door is in running condition. If it s not at the exact height of the other sensor you ll need to adjust it.

The working of these sensors is quite simple. This precaution ensures that the door doesn t close when your car is in the doorway. To realign them adjust the sensor that seems misaligned and wait for the led lights to light up. Garage door sensors utilize a photo eye sensor and a beam of infrared light that goes between the two units.

If an object interrupts the beam the sensor breaks the circuit preventing the door from closing. On most brands of garage door sensors the led light on each sensor will not light up unless the sensors are aligned. If not adjust one or both of the sensors to bring the string up to level. This system allows them to detect obstructions like your car or a kid on a bike.

Give your garage door opener a try. If the beam of light is interrupted while the garage door is closing the door will stop and rise back up. If you have a laser level you can use it instead of a string to align your garage door. The same mechanism kicks in when other objects are placed near the door too.

The sensors are delicate and can easily become. In this case you will set up the level aligned with one sensor then adjust the opposite sensor until the beam of your laser level is hitting the sensor. Using a level check that the string is level. Do both garage sensors need to be green.

As long as the beam isn t interrupted the door will open or close normally. The sensors are normally about 4 inches above the ground. Proper height for a garage door sensor is 4 to 6 inches 10 2 to 15 2 cm. For example 6 75 inches.