A garage door opener is a widely-used device by many homeowners. It makes opening and closing a garage door easier and more comfortable. Without a garage door opener, the homeowner will be forced to get off his or her car just to manually open or close the garage door. This will not be necessary with the help of a garage door opener.
Repair will Eventually be Needed
While a garage door opener can bring a lot of benefits, there are some problems that can come with it. After several years, a homeowner may encounter problems with a garage door. Some of the problems could be related to some parts of the door itself such as the spring, cable, sensor, the remote control, and a lot more. A problem with the sensor is a serious problem and it must be addressed immediately.
You would know that your garage door has a problem with its sensor if the door opens, but would only close when you click on the manual switch. This can be a sign of a misaligned or damaged safety sensor. Repairing the sensor or replacing it would incur the homeowner a few costs. Below are some of the details for your reference to help you determine the garage door sensor repair & replacement cost.
- In general, a new sensor for a garage door will cost around $40. Keep in mind that a sensor may only work with an opener of the same brand. Hence, make sure that the sensor that you will buy as a replacement is compatible with the opener that you have. Because of this, the cost of buying a sensor may vary depending on the brand or quality of your garage door opener.
- Repairing or replacing a sensor for a garage door requires that you hire a contractor who is an expert in fixing a garage door, its opener and its parts including the springs, cables, sensors, and many others. Hiring a specialist will, of course, incur a homeowner some costs.
This is called the labor fee or professional fee. This cost pays for the expert’s tasks such as cleaning the garage door and preparing it for the repair, inspecting the real cause of the problem, and immediately fixing it. The inspection could result in finding out that the problem is the sensor. This must be fixed immediately as this will cause the garage door to malfunction.
- There are materials, tools, and supplies that are needed in repairing or replacing a garage door sensor. Depending on what the problem is, it could include items such as lubricant, adhesive, and buying a new sensor itself. These add to the garage door sensor repair cost.
- If you plan to do the work DIY style, then keep in mind that you will incur additional costs as you need to buy other tools that will enable you to conduct the repair. This may include having to buy screwdrivers, flies and a lot more.
- In relation to the item above, you would not have to buy additional tools such as screw drivers, flies, etc. if you will hire a professional that can fix your garage door and any problems that you may have. Getting their services though also comes with a cost. It is, however, still highly recommended because of the expertise that they have. They can make sure to repair or replace your garage door sensor without having to waste your time and some resources.
Below are some of the steps to confirm what the problem is and to fix the issue.
- Make sure that the remote control is working properly. Check its battery. The sensor is supposed to work and respond to the remote control when you want the door to open or close. Before deciding what repair to do, make sure first that the remote control is not the problem. Make sure that there is a green light on the remote control. This means that it is powered and properly connected to the sensor.
- Another troubleshooting step that you need to do before saying it is a sensor problem is to check the area underneath the garage door. The sensor works as a protective measure that prevents the door from slamming down or crushing anything under it. If there is an object or a person blocking the garage door, then it will not fully close. Therefore, a broken sensor is very dangerous as it may cause the garage door to malfunction and just close even if there is something below it.
- The next one to consider is if the sensor has a light. If the light is not present, then your garage door needs some repair and the sensor may need replacement or realignment.
- Also, some experts in garage door and its opener say that direct exposure to sunlight can also cause your garage door to malfunction or the sensor to get damaged. If you or the contractor that you hired can confirm that the sunlight is the cause of the problem, then covering it and giving it some shade can resolve the issue. A contractor specializing in garage door can determine the cause of the sensor problem in your garage door for sure.
- Sensor problems can also be fixed by realigning the sensors properly. These sensors can sometimes get misaligned due to regular use. The sensors must be aligned properly to make sure that both are getting the signal from each other and the remote control. Misaligned sensors are normally the cause of the problem so make sure to check them first before buying a replacement.
- Maintaining a garage door is not easy. It also costs a lot. Hence, before taking any action such as repairing or replacing it yourself or hiring a professional to do it, validate first if your garage door has a warranty and if it is still within the coverage. This will prevent you from incurring unnecessary costs.
- Once your garage door has been repaired, ensure that proper maintenance is observed to prevent it from malfunctioning again. Regular inspection and cleaning may be a lot of help.