How to Bypass Garage Door Sensors
Whether your garage door reverses or closes with no object in the path, the sensors are likely the culprit.
Fortunately, you can solve this problem temporarily by bypassing garage doors. However, we recommend checking the problem with an expert for a long-term solution.
If you want to use your garage door for now, here’s how to bypass garage door sensors. We’ll discuss them in detail below.
What do garage door sensors do?
Whether your garage door reverses or closes with no object in the path, the sensors are likely the culprit.
Fortunately, you can solve this problem temporarily by bypassing garage doors. However, we recommend checking the problem with an expert for a long-term solution.
If you want to use your garage door for now, here’s how to bypass garage door sensors. We’ll discuss them in detail below.
How do garage door sensors work?
Garage door opener sensors comprise of two elements, which are:
Photo-eye: The photo-eyes in the sensors do all the detecting of the objects in the path. These eyes have infrared beam lights placed on both sides of the garage door.
Once you click the remote to use the garage door, it prompts the sensors to open the garage door. Thus, it prevents the door from closing when there’s an object in the path.
Line of sight: The door closes if the infrared beam isn’t interrupted by an object. If there’s a cat, person, or car in the way, they block the beam’s vision causing the door to stay open.
Why are Garage Door Sensors Important
First of all, sensors make your garage door safe. Hence, no need to worry about potential accidents and injuries even if you leave your kids or pets in the house.
Second, they make the garage doors convenient no matter the season. The garage door often gets stuck during winter due to the cold temperature. Because of this problem, the sensors become helpful. You can access your garage door with the click of a remote button. Then the sensors will signal if the door will open or close.
Lastly, garage door sensors offer protection and safety. The garage door system often comes in passwords. With these passwords, you can change them as often as you like. Hence, there’s a low chance the belongings in your house get robbed.
Typical Garage Door Sensor Problems
Sensors may be convenient, but they will malfunction eventually. Luckily, it’s easy to detect problems with garage door sensors. The first indicator is if the garage door won’t close. This problem might be caused by misaligned or, worse, faulty sensors.
If the sensor is working, the color of the photo-eye beam is either the garage door sensor yellow or green. However, when it’s blinking, that’s when the sensors are misaligned.
Press the remote to test your garage door and see if it closes. As the door starts to close with no object in sight then suddenly reverses, there’s a problem with it.
The second indicator is when the garage door crashes with the object. This is a worse problem than the first as it could injure a person or damage equipment.
That’s why make sure to test the functionality of your garage door before you decide on bypassing the garage doors.
How to Bypass Garage Door Sensors in Your Home
If you don’t know how to trick garage door sensors, this guide is for you. Prepare your pens as you take notes on the steps..
Method 1: Bypassing the Garage Door Sensors Through Manual Operation
#1: Disengaging Garage Door Sensors
Every maintenance and work with garage doors start with disconnecting them from the power source, including the sensors. Since, understandably, your garage door is automated, unplug the whole system. This is an essential step since doing this will altogether bypass the use of sensors.
#2: Use the Manual Release Cord
After disengaging the garage door sensors, pull the manual release cord. If you’re probably wondering, pulling the cord means you can manually open and close the garage door.
#3: Open and Close the Garage Door Manually
You can now open and close the garage door using the cord. However, you must pay attention when closing the door since you will be using your strength to do it independently.
Method 2: Bypassing the Garage Door Sensors through Replacement
#1: Check the Alignment
Once a garage door sensor is malfunctioning, it means there’s a problem with the alignment. Check the beam if you don’t know how to adjust garage door sensors first. Ensure the color is yellow or green since it indicates that the sensors are in good condition. Though, the color varies depending on the brand of the garage door.
In short, the color must stay solid. Otherwise, it would blink if there were alignment issues. To align, re-tighten the screws.
#2: Check the Wiring
Check the garage door sensor wire if you have adjusted the sensors, and the garage door still doesn’t work. Wires can be tampered with due to rodents biting them.
Once you see the wire is disconnected, reattach it. Cut the damaged parts and splice the good ones together for chewed wires.
#3: Replace the Sensors
If the wire is in good condition, then it means you have a faulty sensor. This is not entirely bypassing garage doors, but replacing them will solve your sensor problems long-term.
Make sure to purchase suitable sensors for your garage door. Then, call a professional to install them for you.
#4: Plug the Power Again and Test the System
After you’ve replaced the garage door sensors, test the system. If the operation goes smoothly, then you’ve finally fixed your problem.
Protect Your Home with Fully-Functional Garage Door Sensors
Even if you choose to operate the garage door manually, you still need to replace the sensors if they are damaged. Because of this, it is essential to perform regular upkeep on your garage door.
After you have replaced the sensors, make sure that you should still maintain the garage door. In this way, you won’t be re-encountering any problems.
