Can I bypass the garage door safety sensors?

No. The photo eyes are a federally required safety device that stops the door from closing on a person, pet or vehicle. They should be repaired, never disabled.

Why do my sensors only act up in the afternoon?

Direct low-angle sunlight into the receiving eye overwhelms the beam. Rotating the sensor slightly or adding a small shade usually solves it.

How do I know which sensor is bad?

The sending eye normally shows one steady color and the receiving eye another. The unit whose light blinks or stays dark after cleaning and alignment is the one to investigate.

Garage Door Sensors Blinking

A blinking photo eye is the opener telling you the safety beam is broken or the sensors cannot see each other.

Call 440-478-5350 Request Service

Every opener made since 1993 has a pair of photo eyes mounted about six inches off the floor. When the beam between them is interrupted, the door will not close.

A steady light on both units means the beam is good. A blinking or dark LED means alignment, wiring or interference is stopping the signal.

What usually causes it

A bracket bumped out of alignment by a bike, trash can or snow shovel
Dust, cobwebs or road salt film on the lenses
Low winter sun shining directly into the receiving eye
A pinched, corroded or stapled-through sensor wire
A failed sensor after water intrusion near the floor
Loose wire connections at the opener terminals

What is safe to check yourself

Clean both lenses with a dry soft cloth
Gently adjust one bracket until both LEDs are steady
Move anything stored near the door track away from the sensors
Follow the sensor wire for visible damage or staples through the insulation
Shade the receiving eye briefly to test whether sunlight is the cause

Stop and call a technician if

Both LEDs stay dark even after cleaning and alignment
The wire is cut, chewed or corroded
The door still reverses with clean, aligned sensors
You would have to disconnect the safety system to close the door

Garage door springs and cables hold enough stored energy to cause serious injury. We do not publish repair steps for those components — call 440-478-5350.

How we fix it

Garage Door Safety Sensor RepairPhoto-eye sensors stop the door from closing on a person, pet or vehicle. When they misread, the door refuses to close or reverses without reason.

Frequently asked questions

Can I bypass the garage door safety sensors?: No. The photo eyes are a federally required safety device that stops the door from closing on a person, pet or vehicle. They should be repaired, never disabled.
Why do my sensors only act up in the afternoon?: Direct low-angle sunlight into the receiving eye overwhelms the beam. Rotating the sensor slightly or adding a small shade usually solves it.
How do I know which sensor is bad?: The sending eye normally shows one steady color and the receiving eye another. The unit whose light blinks or stays dark after cleaning and alignment is the one to investigate.

garage door sensor blinking near me in Northeast Ohio

Garage Door Medic is a mobile service based in Chardon, Ohio, covering Geauga, Lake, Cuyahoga, Portage and Ashtabula counties. Choose your community for local details.