Adjust Your Garage Door Photo Eyes
garage door photo eye
Photoelectric eye sensors are one of the many safety features that modern garage doors come with to keep you and your property safe. Typically installed a few inches off the ground, a misaligned garage door photo eye sensor can prevent the garage door from closing properly. If you have a problem with your garage door, and you've ruled out any obvious physical damage, the problem may be due to misalignment of the photo eye. Follow these easy steps to troubleshoot and realign your garage door photo eye.
How to Adjust a Garage Door Photo Eye
Photoelectric eye sensors are delicate devices that require frequent recalibration. In most cases, one of the most obvious signs of misaligned photo eyes is that your garage door is not closed. However, on some modern garage door systems, the light on the garage door opener may flicker or make a noise to let you know your photo eyes are misaligned - making troubleshooting easier. Adjusting and aligning the photocell itself is usually a simple four-step process:
Check for obstacles
Anything that disrupts the beam from sensor to sensor will prevent your garage door from closing properly. Usually, this can be caused by something in the garage being moved or accidentally knocked over in front of the photoelectric eye sensor. Make sure the area around the garage door and photo eye sensor is clear and nothing is blocking them.
Check sensor light
There is an LED on the side of each photo eye sensor, and both should light up steadily. An unlit or blinking LED may indicate a damaged or misaligned photo eye sensor. If the LED on one of the sensors is not lit or flashing, move it slightly by hand and align it so it is pointing directly at the opposite sensor until it lights up again. An LED that remains off after moving may indicate a more complex electrical issue, and it is best to call a qualified garage door technician to take a closer look.
Clean the sensor
If the photo sensor eye LED lights up but your garage door still won't open or close properly, it's possible that the sensor is just dirty. Over time, rain, dust or dirt can collect on the sensor's lens and prevent it from working properly. Gently wipe the sensor with a damp cloth to remove any accumulated dirt or debris.
Adjust the pivot bracket
Optical eye sensors are usually held in place using pivot brackets. These allow the sensor angle to be adjusted to compensate for any uneven walls or tracks. Whether it's due to your house settling, bumps, or any other reason, the pivot mount can sometimes come loose and cause the sensor eyes to misalign. Luckily, realigning them is as simple as loosening the screw holding the bracket and moving it until the two sensors point towards each other.
