gdcorp
10 February 2011
In the cold weather many customers find it frustrating when the garage door won't close. We have received over 50 calls in the past 10 days in the Chicago area that go something like this :
"I can't close my garage door from the remote control and must hold my hand on the wall button the entire time to get the door to close - it opens fine." "The lights on the ceiling flash about 6 times and I can't get the door closed." "Doors gets to within 6 inches of the floor and then reverses"
These are clear signs that the safety sensors (located near the floor) on both sides of the garage door opening are not working properly. Common problems are the following:
- Sensors are blocked by an obstruction - i.e. salt bag, shovel, recycling bin, debris hanging on the bottom of the garage door - to resolve this simply remove the obstruction
- Sensors are not properly aligned - i.e. got bumped - to resolve this realign the sensors until the aiming lights are on steady (not flickering or flashing). You need to look at the aiming light closely when performing an alignment to find the best alignment position.
- Sensors lens are covered by debris - i.e. salt spray or spider webs - to resolve simply clean with a tissue (do not use harsh chemicals)
- Sensors or wiring are defective - this is common on sensors which use a plastic plug which gets corroded - this includes Genie, Chamberlain, Sears, and Liftmaster openers made in the early 90's - to resolve correct wiring problem or replace sensors (we stock them).
Instructions for many garage door openers are on our website at Instruction Manuals and search for your model opener.
If you cannot resolve the problem yourself and are located in our service area we can schedule a service call.