If you are having issues closing your garage door you are in the right place. I will show you how to bypass garage door sensors so you can trick your garage door sensors into allowing the door to close.
A garage door that starts to close and reverses without an obvious obstruction can signify a faulty garage door sensor. In this article, I will show you how to troubleshoot your door sensors, and if necessary, temporarily bypass your garage door sensor so you can close your door.
If your sensors are malfunctioning, replacing your sensors or the garage door opener is an easy do-it-yourself project.
Keep in mind that permanently bypassing garage door sensors creates a hazardous situation that can lead to severe injury or death. This is a safety feature that has been required by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in all garage door openers since 1993.
If you don’t feel comfortable repairing or replacing your garage door sensor or opener on your own, please call a professional garage door repair company.
Check your garage door for obstructions
This sounds obvious. You probably already checked for this, but double-check to make sure nothing is blocking the path of the infrared beam. I can count several occasions where the infrared beam appeared clear, but a small item I placed next to the sensor partially blocked the beam.
Check your garage door safety sensors alignment
Another common issue is that your sensors aren’t aligned properly. Each sensor, regardless of brand, will have at least one LED light on each sensor. If working properly, they will be lit and not blinking.
A blinking light indicates that the sensor is blocked or out of alignment. A solid light, usually green, indicates the garage door sensors work.
Check the power and wiring
If the sensor does not have power, no light will be visible.
If this is the case, you may need to check the power coming from your garage door opener, the wires, and the connection with the sensor.
Sometimes, animals will chew on the wires, or kids have pulled them. If this is the case, replace it with a new sensor.
You can also repair the wire by using wire cutters to cut and splice the wires back together. When in doubt, replace the garage door sensors. They are cheap and easy to replace.
How to bypass garage door sensors
If your garage door still doesn’t close, you have two options:
Use the manual release cord to lower the garage door
One option is to use the manual release cord to pull and disengage the garage door from the garage door motor. Once this is completed, you can open and close the garage door manually.
Once your door sensors are repaired or replaced, you can reattach the door to the garage door motor using the manual keypad or remote. Most automatic garage doors will reengage the door, and you will be back in business.
Just remember that when the automatic garage door opener is disconnected from the door, you will need to lock your garage door manually should you want to secure it.
Bypass the sensors from the wall-mounted button
All garage door openers have the ability to bypass the safety sensors. Ensure that nothing is blocking the path that could get crushed or prevent the door from closing if you bypass the sensors.
To do this, go to your system keypad and press and hold the main button. After a few seconds, the door should start to close. Once the door is just a few inches from being completely closed, let go of the button. Your door should now be closed.
If you release the button too soon, the door will reverse itself. If you hold it too long, you risk damage to the door.
There you have it. Refer to your automatic garage door opener’s user guide or seek a qualified garage door repair company if you have questions.
