The two photo-electric sensors sit just above the floor on either side of the opening. If one can't see the other, the opener treats that as an obstruction. Safety sensor repair is the job we do when that beam isn't getting across, whether the cause is damaged wiring or a sensor that has failed.
What the door is telling you
The usual sign is a door that goes up fine but won't come down, or starts down and snaps back before it reaches the floor. Each sensor normally has a small indicator light. If one is dark, dim or blinking, the pair isn't talking to each other reliably. That is the first thing we look at, and it is worth checking before you call so you can tell us what you see.
A door that opens crooked or catches as it travels is a different problem. That points to the rollers or the track, not the sensors.
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Wire or sensor
The sensors work as a pair. One sends a beam across the opening and the other receives it. Break the beam and the opener won't close the door. Only two things stop that signal from getting through.
The first is the wiring between the sensors and the opener. If that wire is damaged, the sensor loses its signal even though the unit itself is fine. The second is the sensor, which can fail on its own. From the garage floor the two look identical, so we don't guess. We test, and we only replace what the test shows is bad.
Occasional winter freezes here bring some freeze-thaw movement, so while we are there we check that the sensor brackets are still solid and the sensors are still pointed straight across the opening.
How we find the cause
We start with the indicator lights on both sensors while the door is cycled from the wall button. If one is out, we follow the wire back from that sensor to the opener and look for damage along the run.
If the fault is still there, we connect the sensors with a temporary direct wire and see what happens. If both lights come on, the old wire run is the problem and we replace it. If they don't come on, the sensors are bad and we replace them. The test takes a few minutes and keeps us from swapping parts we didn't need to.
The repair
Whichever part is bad, the replacement is matched to your opener's existing wiring configuration, so it connects the way the original did. For the job itself we use a Phillips screwdriver and wire strippers. When the wire run is the fault, we strip and connect the new wire at both ends. When the sensor is the fault, we mount the new one, aim it across the opening and watch the indicator light to confirm it has the beam. Then we run the door through its full travel to confirm it closes without reversing.
If a hailstorm has dented a panel or cracked the glazing, we'll point it out, but that is a separate panel job and not part of the sensor repair.
What it costs
Sensor wiring replacement typically runs $65 to $250. We can give you that range on the call, and we confirm the exact number once we've seen the job and know whether it is the wire, the sensors, or both.
If the direct-wire test shows the wire is fine and only the sensors are bad, the work is a sensor swap instead of a new wire run, and we quote it that way. We'll tell you which one it is before we start.
What the Work Involves
On a typical job, some of what gets done:
- Turn the power back on, adjust the sensors until their lights show the normal steady state, and tighten them in their brackets.
- While the door is open, break the sensor beam as the door closes; check that it stops and reverses or will not close.
Call (580) 350-5890, and it costs nothing to ask.