Automatic garage doors have undoubtedly made life easier.
You don’t need to get out of your car every morning to close the garage door manually.
And you certainly don’t have to worry about the heavy garage door coming thrashing down on your feet.
Or worse, closing down on your pet or any object that causes a hindrance in its path.
This is because automated garage doors come with sensors that detect any obstacles in the closing path of the garage door and then open and close accordingly.
These sensors make the job easier.
However, just like any technology garage sensors are prone to malfunction.
Or in this case, they run a threat of misalignment.
If the sensors are not properly aligned that is if the receiver of the stimuli does not transmit the signal in time for the emitter to receive it, then we run into a problem.
Unaligned garage door sensors can render it impossible for garage doors to open and close on their own.
And if you are not quite looking forward to garage door repair then it’s time to learn how to align garage door sensors.
Keep reading below.
All the Supplies You’ll Need
While the actual process of the alignment of garage door sensors needs no special equipment, it is always best to have some handy tools with you to make the process easier.
In short, here’s everything you’ll need.
- Gloves preferably those that don’t conduct electricity such as rubber gloves
- String
- Level
- Screwdriver
The Entire Guide on How to Align Garage Door Sensors
Step 1: Unplug the Power Supply
You may have guessed this one already at the mention of insulated gloves.
Dealing with electric circuitry is dangerous and you certainly don’t want to jeopardize your life so it’s always a good idea to disconnect your garage door from the power supply.
You can also meddle with the fuse box to break the circuit.
Donn on your gloves and let’s get into how to align garage door sensors.
Step 2: Unhinge the Sensor Screws and Slide the Sensors Downwards
For unhinging the sensor mounting bracket, you’ll need your screwdriver.
Place it inside the screws and rotate in an anti-clockwise direction to get the screws loose.
Care needs to be taken to ensure that the screws don’t completely come off.
This is because you just need to loosen them up to make the bracket sliding easier up and down.
Once unhinged, it is time to slide the sensors downwards.
You can achieve this by your bare hands.
The use of a tool is not recommended as it could impede the functioning of the sensor and leave behind marks on its surface.
You’ll need to pull the sensors really low, keeping care that they remain intact within their brackets.
Step 3: Attach the String and Check Its Level
This is perhaps the most crucial step in this guide on how to align garage door sensors.
This is where the string will be needed.
You have the string and its mounting bracket to one end of the string.
Make sure the knot is tight as it could make or break the entire operation.
You can also seek the professional help of London-ON Garage Doors we are a garage door company with the sole purpose of making your technical tasks easier.
Next up, you will need to attach the other end of the spring to the other sensor.
To achieve this, run the thread to the outward side of the garage’s door.
Loop the string around the sensor and secure it tightly by tying it up.
You are almost done with aligning the sensors.
As an extra measure, we suggest using a level to check if the two sensors are across the same level.
Press the level firmly against the ground and check their alignment.
If it appears out of proportion, then simply slide the brackets up or down to achieve the right level.
Step 4: Screw the Sensors Back On
After carefully, assessing if the sensors are aligned or not, it is time to screw them on and prevent any future movement.
Tighten them properly, so that they can’t be moved by force.
This is quite a crucial step.
Once done, you can replug the power supply and test for the smooth functioning of your garage door.
The Bottom Line
Garage Doors can be tricky to handle.
Even if after realignment, your garage sensors don’t work, there may be other probable causes like dirty sensors or distorted connection wires that prevent the sensors from working.
If you are facing garage repair problems like this, get in touch with a professional company like London-ON Garage Doors.
We specialize in all things related to the repair, maintenance, and smooth operations of your garage door.
To know more on how to align garage door sensors click here.
