The garage door at my mother's house has an intermittent problem.
Sometimes it won't close. If I hold the button down, the door will go down but when I let go of the bottom it starts going back up.
There isn't anything blocking the sensor.
The garage door opener is a Genie screw drive type that is about 15 years old.
What can I look for to diagnose the problem.
Thanks.
Maybe the switch is bad.
Does it work with a remote? You could try unhooking the wires from the switch and tapping them together to simulate the pressing of the switch.
That certainty sounds like a sensor problem. Clean the lenses, check the alignment, check the wires. There are usually LED lights on them to show they are aligned and working.
Thanks
I will try to see if I can find a repair manual for it.
Andy
There are sensors that shut off the motor when it reaches a certain point of travel. These are mechanical switches on top of the track, or an internal one that adjusts with a + or - symbol over a plastic screw. Get on a ladder, and work the door. Watch it travel, and look for the limit switches, as they are called. They are simple metal tabs on top of a box about one inch square. Once you get up there, if they are there, you will spot them, just look towards the ends of the track about a foot in. One may be boogered up. They hold to the track with a simple screw, and that is all that is necessary to move one to the proper place where it will stop either the up or down of the door.
Steve
The red light in the door sensor is blinking.
I found a manual and found out that the red LED blinks when the sensors are not aligned. The LED is supposed to be on all the time.
Should be a simple repair.
Andy
The red light in the door sensor is blinking.
I found a manual and found out that the red LED blinks when the sensors are not aligned. The LED is supposed to be on all the time.
Should be a simple repair.
Andy
Damn funny what an instruction manual can tell you. On mine, there are certain times of the day when sunlight shines on it that it will not close but do the up and down thing until you stand in front of the sun and shade it.
Steve
BTDT. From the door rail to the inside wall corners is about 18-20 inches on both of my garage doors. The single door facing west gets serious sun at triple digits much of the summer.
An installer, suggested placing a wooden block on the wall, same height, but closer to the corner wall. This would allow the sensor to be in a shaded location and not have it bothered by the sun.
In my case I had new sensors put in. So far no problem with sun or heat. We placed them at the original location, but they are better sensors.
I saw in the manual about the effect of sun on the sensers.
Putting a "hood" around the senser might work too.
Andy
Consider swapping the sender and receiver, so the receiver is in the shade. If your opener is picky about which one is on which wire, swap the wires at the screw-downs on the opener.
re: Putting a "hood" around the senser might work too
You mean they don't have sun in the hood?
Houston, Texas has more than enough sun and humidity. :-) We could use some full solar eclipses right now.
Andy
I put my sensors above the door. That way I don't kick them any more when walking by in the dark. Safety? A kid can hold the button down and crush the dog or a baby. The whole thing is idiotic.
"Van Chocstraw" >Safety? A kid can hold the button down and
Seconded. I was never worried about the cat being dumb enough to be squished. The moment the door begins to move the cat is sprinting for the stream in the back 40. A kid, on the other hand, sure it'll just stand there, but since human larvae are never allowed on my property it's not an issue.
I thought of doing something like that also. Then I decided to mount them about 18 to 24 inches off the floor. High enough that if my car or truck did not go all the way in the garage maybe the sensors would see them. The car is not much of a problem,but my truck only has about a foot or so of space in the front or back..
I had to buy a short-wheelbase minivan, because the long ones would have come within 3" of the closed door....
-- aem sends...
One company has developed sensors in the main unit (opener/operator). No need for sensors, anywhere on the walls. Dogs and children are protected.
"When purchased with a new Martin door, openers are automatically upgraded to Soft-Touch Reverse Technology? which eliminates the need for photo eyes.**"
I'm biased about this company, purchased and use the door - with an old opener. I'm happy!
I would think that the installer would install the switch high enough so kids can't reach it.
I know a lot of kids with more "snap" than a lot of adults. :-)
Andy
Holding the button blocks the sensor. So you have something wrong with the sensor, something is really blocking it (small spiders are really good at that) or there is a wiring problem.
That applies if you are in front of the sensor when you are pressing the button. I ended up fixing the problem by realigning the sensors.
The garage did some setting on one side and got them out of alignment.
Andy
Andy
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