In 1992, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission mandated that garage door openers manufactured after January 1, 1993, must comply with the UL 325 standard for safety and be equipped with photoelectric eyes.

Photoelectric sensors are non-contact safety devices designed to prevent the garage door from closing if there’s anything in its path while it’s closing. This system consists of an active sensor (sender) and a passive sensor (receiver). The active sensor emits an infrared beam across the garage opening to the receiver sensor. When the beam is obstructed during a closing cycle, the garage door opener will reverse.

The sensors are typically located on the bottom left and right vertical tracks. In some cases, however, they are mounted on the wall right next to the tracks. They should be positioned no higher than 6 inches from the floor and no further apart than 20 feet, with exceptions to the 20-foot rule.

Constant Contact Override Function

Garage door sensors can be bypassed by pressing and holding the opener’s hardwired wall button, until the door closes completely. This allows users to close their overhead garage door when the photoelectric sensors aren’t working properly.

Disabling Garage Door Sensors

Garage door sensors cannot be disabled since door openers are required to have them by law. If you do not want to use the sensors, you can mount or tape them together on the garage ceiling next to the motor head so that they are closely aligned with each other. However, this is not recommended without fully understanding all the risks involved.

Testing Garage Door Safety Eyes

You can test your garage door sensors by opening the door and obstructing the sensor’s beam with an object such as a paper towel roll. Once obstructed, try to close the door. The door should not close or reverse within approximately 2 seconds. If the door doesn’t reverse, consult a licensed garage door repair company or your door’s manufacturer.

Maintaining the Sensors

Clean the sensors with a dry washcloth. Ensure that the sensors’ mounting brackets are properly secured in their position. Tighten the locking bolts. If the sensors are mounted on the tracks, tighten the tracks to the wall. Ensure that the sensor wires are not loose and are properly secured using cable clips or a staple gun. Verify that the height of the sensors is 6 inches off the floor, neither more nor less. Test and maintain the sensors every 6 to 12 months.