Imagine that you are in a hurry to get to the store. You back your car out of the garage and push the garage door button to close. The garage door refuses to go down. Now you have to get out of the car and check for something that could be in the way of the sensors. After a quick review, you see no issues and start to concern yourself with how you can close the garage door and still get to your shopping. How to bypass garage door sensors? Simply hold the garage door button down until the door closes all the way.
Let’s take a look below at more details involving this process.
A Step By Step Process
Just like anything related to a project, there are always steps to follow for success. Let’s go over the best steps to bypass your garage door sensors.
- Prop open the door-Only required if the garage door is actually stuck. A ladder or another person can easily prop the door for you. Remember, safety first.
- Put the garage door on manual mode-pull the release cord down and back towards the garage door motor. This disconnects the door from the chain-link track and the automatic system. Now, you can open and close the door manually.
- Close or open the door manually-using the handle attached to the inside portion of the door, you can now open and close the door as you see fit. While you trouble shoot the sensors you can use this to ensure that the garage stays closed.
Or, you could simply just hold down the button that makes your garage go to bypass the sensors.
Safety Concerns
Bypassing your garage door sensors a couple of times is okay. However, you should always ensure your garage door sensors are functioning properly for safety reasons.
Garage door sensors help stop doors from damaging themselves, hurting small children, or even a car caught underneath the door.
Most garage door sensors should be placed within 6 inches of the garage floor for this reason. In fact, this is something we might inspect for on our home inspections to ensure everyone’s safety.
Materials You Might Need
Projects all require tools. Fortunately, this project does not require a lot. Let’s take a look:
- Microfiber cloth
- Screwdriver
- Measuring tape
- Hammer
- 2 2×4’s for supporting the door
- Ladder
- A second person to help
If That Fails To Get The Job Done
Not every process is successful every time. Luckily, there is always a backup plan.
- Call a local garage door repair company – See if they can provide a free quote to remove, fix, or replace your sensors.
- Disconnect the sensors-disconnecting the sensors by turning the power off to the garage door opener. Then, cut the black and white wires and unscrew the sensors from their brackets. You officially have disconnected your sensors.
- Buy new sensors-keep in mind the garage door functioning properly is a good part of your resale and safety at the same time. It’s a great idea to just purchase new sensors and replace the old ones, so that you can ensure the safety of your home.
How Much Does It Cost
The cost to bypass your garage door sensors is nothing but your time. However, if you need to replace your garage door safety sensors it can cost between $85 to $95. For a professional installation, you are looking at paying $170 for materials and labor.
Other Recommended Maintenance
Since we are on the topic of garage door sensors. Why don’t we also examine how long garage doors last? This might be a great review for most homeowners and you might get some tips for when and where repairs are needed.
Another piece of information that can be important to know, is why the garage door won’t close? Even though the sensors are a big part of the garage door closing, you could have something related to the drive chain in the garage door opener, or even a spring issue.
Finally, being in the garage can have you wondering about other projects. This is a great time to determine if you need a scuttle attic installed. Not sure what a scuttle attic is? Take a look at the link provided and learn more about how to get in and out of your garage attic without risking injury.
When Should I Call A Professional
Anytime you are dealing with safety measures in your home it is a great idea to consult a professional. Although disabling your garage door’s safety system is not ideal, it can be a necessity when your garage door is malfunctioning or not closing properly. We highly recommend that you call a professional garage door installation company.
Also, consider reaching out to your local home inspection team. They can recommend the best garage door maintenance and installation company after they complete a full home inspection. You never know what other projects you might need to complete.
Conclusion
Most people have issues at some point with their garage door openers and have little knowledge of how to repair the issues. It is easy to go online and research your troubleshooting for various garage door issues. However, with such a variety of door openers and technology these days, this can become more complicated than anticipated.
If you need someone to provide a home inspection to recommend the best garage door company then reach out to Avalon Home Inspections, we conduct home inspections in Greenville, SC, and Atlanta, GA.
