How To Align Garage Door Sensors in 7 Simple Steps

Misaligned garage door safety sensors (sometimes called door eyes) can prevent your garage door from closing properly, which may create problems with your home's safety and security. While this may seem like an easy DIY task, contacting a professional to inspect and realign your sensors can help reveal other problems you might have with your door and also save you from voiding your warranty.

Learn how to determine whether your sensors might be misaligned, how misalignment occurs, and how a Precision Garage Door Service® professional aligns garage door sensors to ensure your garage door works as it should.

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Table of contents:

• Step One - Call a Pro
• Step Two - Turn Off Garage Sensor Power Source
• Step Three - Loosen Screws in Brackets and Shift Garage Sensor Downward
• Step Four - Fasten a String to Each Sensor
• Step Five - Use a Level and Adjust Sensors If Needed
• Step Six - Tighten Bracket Screws
• Step Seven - Turn Power Back On
• What Are Garage Door Sensors?
• 5 Signs Your Garage Door Sensors Are Misaligned
• What Causes Garage Doors To Become Misaligned?
• Why You Should Call a Professional
• Trust Precision Garage Door Service To Align Your Garage Door Sensors
• FAQ About How To Align Garage Door Sensors

Step One - Call a Pro

Calling a pro is a great first step for aligning your door sensors. Garage doors are heavy, and it’s very dangerous to make any garage door repairs or adjustments yourself. A qualified service professional can align sensors properly without injuring someone or damaging your door or property.

Step Two - Turn Off Garage Sensor Power Source

The first thing the service professional will do is trip the garage fuse to disconnect power from the garage door. This prevents electrocution or other risks while they’re aligning the sensors. They’ll flip the garage switch in the breaker box if it’s labeled or test the switches one at a time until they find the right fuse.

Step Three - Loosen Screws in Brackets and Shift Garage Sensor Downward

Once the power is disconnected, they’ll loosen the screws in the mounting brackets so the sensors can be moved downward, which makes them easier to align.

Step Four - Fasten a String to Each Sensor

Next, the service professional will connect both sensors with a taut string. This makes it easier for them to determine whether both sensors are at the same height.

Step Five - Use a Level and Adjust Sensors If Needed

They’ll use a level under the string to ensure the sensors are perfectly level. If they’re not, the service professional will continue adjusting until they are.

Step Six - Tighten Bracket Screws

Now that the sensors are level, the service professional will tighten the garage door’s brackets back into place. A professional knows how to tighten these brackets so the sensors stay in the correct position while the door operates without over tightening and damaging the mechanism.

Step Seven - Turn Power Back On

The only thing left to do is to test the door. The service professional will flip the circuit breaker back on to restore power to the garage door. After that, they’ll test that the door is level, operates normally, and stops as intended when objects are in its path.

What Are Garage Door Sensors?

Garage door sensors detect if there’s an object or person in the door’s path. If they detect something in the way, sensors are designed to stop the door from closing to avoid injury or property damage.

Your garage door sensors are located just above floor level, with one sensor mounted on each side of your garage door. Their accessibility is one reason why it’s so easy for them to become accidentally misaligned or blocked by an object.

5 Signs Your Garage Door Sensors Are Misaligned

First, determine whether an object is blocking the sensors. If you’re experiencing any of the misalignment symptoms below, call a garage door professional for help:

1. Garage door doesn’t close: Misaligned safety sensors may prevent your garage door from closing.
2. Sensor lights are red or off: If you notice the garage door sensors blinking red or the light is off, it’s likely because they aren’t aligned.
3. Garage door remote doesn’t work anymore: If your remote isn’t working anymore, it might be a safety mechanism due to misaligned sensors.
4. Garage door opener is flashing: A garage door opener flashes when something is wrong, including when safety sensors aren’t aligned.
5. Door suddenly reverses while closing: If a door suddenly reverses while closing without an object in its path, it’s a sign that the sensors are having issues, triggering the intended safety mechanism in the wrong circumstances.

All of the above are signs that your garage door sensors are misaligned or need replacement. However, the only true way to gauge the condition of your garage door’s parts is to get a professional diagnosis.

What Causes Garage Doors To Become Misaligned?

Any number of factors could contribute to your garage door becoming misaligned, including:

• Accidental contact with the sensors while moving something in or out of your garage
• Loose brackets that allow the sensors to shift
• Dirt, dust, or debris that blocks the sensors’ communication with each other
• Normal wear and tear
• Improper garage door or sensor installation
• Pets or kids that knock over one or more sensors

A garage door professional who knows how to align your garage door sensors properly can give you tips on how to avoid this problem in the future. Here are a few of the most important ones, according to our experts:

• Have a professional clean and inspect your sensors regularly as part of your garage door tune-up service. This prevents dust and debris from impeding the signals that your sensors send and receive.
• Sensors can move or become displaced easily. Avoid moving objects too close to your sensors so they’re not knocked out of place.
• Get a professional opinion on whether your sensors need to be replaced.
• Trust a garage door professional to handle any sensor alignment processes to avoid loose mounting brackets afterward.

Why You Should Call a Professional

Do not attempt to align garage door sensors yourself. Some reasons you shouldn’t attempt DIY alignment include:

• False sense of security: While you may believe that you’ve successfully aligned your sensors after a completed DIY project, they could still be slightly off-kilter or not set according to the manufacturer’s specifications. This could cause accidental injury if someone goes under your garage door while it’s closing.
• Requires precision: Aligning garage door sensors is a delicate process. Garage door service professionals have the right tools to make accurate measurements for optimal alignment.
• Diagnostic capability: Only a professional can examine your garage door’s system to determine whether other underlying problems, such as rusty garage door parts, led to the sensors’ misalignment.
• Voided warranty: Many manufacturers require professional maintenance and repair to maintain your warranty. Trying to repair your garage door system’s components yourself could void your warranty.
• Saves time: Chances are, you haven’t aligned hundreds of garage door sensors in your lifetime — garage door professionals have. Trust a trained service professional with expertise to save you time and money.

Trust Precision Garage Door Service To Align Your Garage Door Sensors

Properly aligned garage door safety eyes are an important way to ensure your door operates as it should. Only a service professional knows how to align garage door sensors properly, so you don’t need to worry about the door closing on people or objects.

Don’t leave safety up to chance. Schedule an appointment with your local Precision Garage Door Service today.

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and may not be applicable to every situation. You are responsible for determining the proper course of action for your property. Precision Garage Door Service is not responsible for any damages that occur as a result of this blog content or your actions. For the most accurate guidance, contact the Precision Garage Door Service location nearest you for a comprehensive, on-site assessment.

FAQ About How To Align Garage Door Sensors

As a garage door service, repair, and installation leader renowned for integrity and dependability, all independently owned and operated Precision Garage Door Service locations are committed to your satisfaction. This commitment includes using our expertise and years of experience to answer your garage door-related questions.

Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about how to align garage door sensors.

Do garage sensors need to line up?

Yes, garage sensors need to line up. They can only properly detect if something is in the way of a door if they’re aligned.

Should both garage sensors be green?

In most cases, it’s okay if both garage sensors are green. This varies between models, but it should be okay as long as the sensor lights aren’t blinking red or are off. When in doubt, consult your garage door sensor manufacturer or a service professional.

Why is one garage sensor green and the other yellow?

For some garage door sensors, one light is green and the other is yellow when they’re working properly. The yellow light sensor sends a signal, and the green light sensor receives it.