Our garage door opener had stopped working correctly and the lights on the unit were flashing, indicating there was a problem with one of the safety sensors. After checking both sensors, one of them wasn’t sending any signal at all. Assuming it had just died, I ordered a replacement online and waited a few days for it to arrive. Unfortunately, swapping it out didn’t fix the issue.
The opener still wouldn’t run properly no matter which way I adjusted or aligned the new sensor. That’s when I decided to temporarily bypass it until I could get a technician from Garage Door Opener Repair in Suffolk to take a look.
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Jumper Wires Get It Working Temporarily
Most garage door openers have a safety feature where they won’t run if one of the sensors is blocked or malfunctioning. This keeps the door from closing on people or objects underneath. But in a pinch, you can jumper the sensor wires to trick the unit into thinking both are functioning properly. I clipped some spare wires to bridge the connection between the two sensor wire leads. Low and behold, the opener sprung to life! The door operated normally again, even without the sensor in place.
Calling In The Pros
With the unit now functional, I was able to use the door until a pro could take over. I scheduled an appointment with a certified garage door technician to fully diagnose and repair the system. In the meantime, the jumper wires worked as a safe temporary bypass. They took maybe 5 minutes to install and gave me back use of the opener, which was a lifesaver.
Sensor Malfunction Diagnosis
When the expert technician arrived, he took a look at the entire setup. After testing both sensors and inspecting the wiring, he determined the original sensor wasn’t actually defective – there was a short somewhere in the low voltage cable running to it. A few minutes splicing in a new wire and the sensor began signaling properly again. The temporary wires had done the job of verifying it was an electrical issue, not a faulty component.
Consider the Professionals
If you ever find yourself with a garage door or opener problem that seems beyond your skill level to fix, it’s always best to call in certified technicians for repairs. While jumping the sensor saved me temporarily, the pro was able to properly diagnose and fix the underlying wiring fault. Leaving electrical work to amateurs can result in safety issues down the road. So if a job seems tough, let the experts from companies like ‘Garage Door Opener Repair in Suffolk’ handle it instead to stay safe. A small service fee is worth the peace of mind.
Meet Jack, our garage guru. With a wrench in one hand and a can-do attitude in the other, he’s your go-to expert for all things repair and replacement.
