Are Garage Door Safety Sensors Universal? (Solved!)

Are Garage Door Safety Sensors Universal? All garage door safety sensors work in the same way and for the same purpose. All sensors provide the same level of safety after installation, no matter what brand you use for a garage door opener.

Are Garage Door Safety Sensors Universal?

When a company advertises that its models are universal, this usually means that specific units will be compatible with certain garage door openers. However, once you have installed your garage door safety sensor and connected it to your garage door opener, it will provide the same level of safety as any other door sensor. 

Which brands are compatible?

A universal door sensor is compatible with all the major garage door opener brands such as Chamberlain, Liftmaster, Overhead and Raynor. 

Can you switch garage door sensors?

You can switch your garage door sensors whether you want to put in new sensors, which you will need to reconnect with your opener, or if you want to change your sensor from one side of the garage door to the other to avoid something like sunlight interference making your sensor think that something is in the way when it isn’t. 

How much work is it to DIY and change out the sensors?

Changing out your sensors by yourself is an easy process that will take you less than 30 minutes to accomplish. All you need are some wire cutters, crimp wire nuts, and working gloves.

To learn the steps to replacing your sensor, check out this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Jth3R4ZulI;ab_channel=SearsPartsDirect

How much does it cost to hire a professional to fix or change the sensors?

If you decide not to replace your door sensor yourself and want a professional to do it for you, it will cost around $150 to $200.

However, this price will depend on whether you need a new sensor, repair an existing sensor, or need to change the sensor. Having to replace your sensor completely will land on the higher end of pricing, whereas installing a current sensor will fall on the lower end of pricing. 

How do you align garage door safety sensors?

Manufacturers have made it very easy to realign your door sensors since they are in a position to get bumped or misaligned easily.

All models have a light of some kind that will help you line up your sensor. Some have a light on the side that will flicker or change colour when misaligned, such as Liftmaster products. Move the sensor around until the light becomes steady or turns green.

Other models come with a lock collar, such as Marantec products. Move the sensory until you see the light come back on, then tighten the lock collar. 

How do you reset garage door sensors?

If you are having problems with your door sensory, but it is not the alignment, then there are a few other reasons it might not be working.

If there aren’t any lights on to tell you whether your sensor is on or aligned correctly, there may be a wiring issue. You’ll want to check if the wires are correctly connected by seeing if the white wires connect to the white terminal and the black wires connect to the black terminal. 

Ensure that the power is turned off for your sensory before you touch the wiring. Remove the wire nuts or cut the sensory leaving 12″ of wire. You can then check that the wires are appropriately connected, and strip both wire ends to reconnect them correctly. 

Can you bypass garage door safety sensors?

If you want to bypass your safety sensor, you can set your automatic door to manual mode. You can also disconnect the sensory altogether, but there’s a chance that this will prevent your garage door from opening correctly. 

How can I get my garage door to work without sensors?

An automatic garage door will not work if there isn’t a sensory or your sensory isn’t working correctly. However, you can always manually open and close the door if you disconnect the sensor or need to go without one for a while. 

Will a garage door opener work without sensors?

Your garage door will work so far as you will be able to open and close it manually. However, if you want your garage door to operate automatically or with a remote, you will need to install a working safety sensor. 

How long do garage door safety sensors last?

Garage door sensors work with batteries, so the average time your sensor will last depends on what battery it is using. You can expect your sensor to last between 3 to 5 years. However, you can replace batteries without changing your sensor, so you can get closer to 10 to 15 years out of your sensor, depending on how well you treat it. 

How do you know if your garage sensors are bad?

You will be able to tell if your sensor has gone bad by testing if it will close while something is obscuring the garage door’s path. You can place an empty box under your garage door and try to close it. If the sensor doesn’t pick up on the box, the door will close or partly close before reopening. This will show it’s time to replace your sensor. 

Can sunlight affect garage door sensors?

Most safety sensors use beams of light to signal one another. If sunlight interferes with the infrared sensors, this could falsely tell your sensor that there is something in the way of the door when there isn’t. Make sure your sensors will not be in direct sunlight so you can avoid this problem. 

Why is my garage door sensor light yellow?

If you see a yellow light on your sensor, that means that something has bumped it out of alignment. You will need to adjust the position of the sensor to realign it, and the light turns green again. Remember to check the alignment of both the sending and receiving sensors.