The photo eye typical of an automatic garage door is a security feature. When the photo eye detects an obstruction, it prevents the garage door from shutting and potentially averts damage or harm to a car, person or domestic animal in the door's pathway. Basically, the photo eye comprises of two sensors, each on either side of the door, approximately six inches off the ground. A beam is normally directed by one of the sensors towards the other and any interruptions may cause the sensor to break the circuit, stopping the door from shutting. If your garage door partially shuts then reopens, or goes up but fails to close, this may be a sign that the photo eye necessitates adjustment. Here are simple steps to help property owners troubleshoot and adjust the photo eye of their garage doors.
Tip 1
Ascertain that there's nothing stored adjacent to the garage entryway which may be blocking the sensors. Note that the sensors are quite sensitive, and even the smallest of things in their pathway can instigate the circuit breaking stroke.
Tip 2
Find the exact location of the photo eye sensors and establish whether the two sensors have a lit LED light. If one of the sensors is unlit, chances are that it may have been bumped. Attempt to adjust the unlit sensor by maneuvering it a little using your hand. Note that for the garage door to function properly, both the photo eye sensors must be lit with LED lights.
Tip 3
Check to see whether the sensors are dirty or not. If you notice any dirt, clean the units, watchfully cleaning the lenses using a wet cloth. Then, use a clean cloth to wipe them dry. Upon finishing the cleaning process, adjust the sensors once more so that every lens looks directly to the opposite lens, to allow for both LED lights to get lit.
Tip 4
Perform small fine-tunings to the pivot bracket bearing one of the sensors. Simply unfasten the screws and nuts that secure it. Adjust the pivot bracket in and out a little until the LED light gets lit, then screw in the screws and nuts.
Tip 5
Check the wires connecting to the photo eyes. Cautiously free any wires that are twisted. In the case of wire damage, or when the garage door fails to function even after your attempts to adjust the sensors, get in touch with a professional garage door repair contractor.
Contact a local professional, such as Hunter Valley Garage Doors, for more information.
Share13 November 2015
Welcome to my blog. My name is Colin, and I work in a library in a small town. As we don't have a lot of patrons, we have a lot of downtime, and I am allowed to read during that time if no shelving needs to be done. Fiction was my first love, but over years at the library, I have delved into a range of other topics, including ones I thought would never interest me. In particular, I have done a lot of reading on garage doors, which is a surprisingly interesting topic. I wanted to create a blog so decided to throw my focus there. I hope you like these tips and ideas on garage doors and that they help you.