How Autumn Leaves, Sunlight and Even Dirt Can Affect Garage Door Sensors

We don’t see a lot of foliage in Rancho Cordova, California, but we actually have a lot more than the rest of the country imagines. And while the splash of color is beautiful and that rustic smell of leaves is classic fall, leaves that fall to the ground become a nuisance pretty fast. In fact, they can actually interfere with your garage door sensors, preventing the door from closing. So if you find your door won’t close and keeps returning to the up position, look for piles of leaves around your sensors. Autumn may be running interference on your opener.

What’s Happening

Required by law since the early 90s, sensors are used to automatically detect if something is in the way. This is designed to protect children and pets from injury. It also will stop the door from operating if something is in the way such as a car, a lawn mower or bike.

Other Things that Can Obstruct Sensors

Lots of things can actually interfere with your sensors. Cobwebs are common. Sometimes sunlight is a problem. You can get around this by securing cardboard or wooden shades around the top of the sensor to protect it from sunlight. Sometimes the sensors just need cleaned. 

Cleaning Your Garage Door Sensors is Easy

Cleaning your garage door safety sensors is a simple maintenance task to ensure your door operates safely and reliably. Here’s a quick step-by-step guide:

1. Disconnect the power to your garage door opener to prevent the garage door for moving.
2. Examine the sensor units. They’ll be near the ground on each side of the door. Look for any dirt, cobwebs, or debris that might obstruct their operation.
3. Use a soft, lint-free cloth or a cotton swab to clean the sensor lenses. Avoid using abrasive materials that could scratch the lenses.
4. Ensure the sensors are correctly aligned so that the invisible beam of light between them is uninterrupted. As said above, you may need to fashion a cover from leaves.
5. After cleaning and aligning the sensors, reconnect the power to your garage door opener. Test the garage door to ensure it operates smoothly and that the safety sensors are functioning correctly.

Regularly cleaning and maintaining your safety sensors ensures they function properly. A little soap and water might be the easiest garage door opener repair you’ve ever done.