Garage door problem

[Gregor 4,846]

My garage door has safety "eyes" that will reverse it, if something gets in the way. At certain times of the day, the door won't close. The light just blinks. This first happened about 3 years ago during summer. I narrowed the problem down to the sun shinning into one of the eyes in the afternoon. I raised the eyes, problem fixed. Every winter I have to lower them back down a bit. I suppose the sun is at a different angle. Then raise them again about 6" in the summer. Funny thing is, I built this garage in '93. Never had a problem until the last few years. Maybe I shouldn't of had the tree trimmed. Just another one of the worlds problems you can think about while drinking your morning coffee.

[Pullstart 62,806]

Can you build some dark “blinders”?

 

 

[ebinmaine 67,310]

Blinders or a hood of some sort was my first thought but you know what I would honestly do? Bypass that circuit and throw those right sideways irritating "eyes"  over my left shoulder as fast as I could. 

[Gregor 4,846]

2 minutes ago, pullstart said:

Can you build some dark “blinders”?

 

 

Probably, but then I couldn't about it.

 

[Gregor 4,846]

It's not as easy as simply by-passing a circuit. You have to install an electronic generator of some sort. Don' know much about it, only read about it.  Besides, with the grand kids, they should probably stay where they are.

[Handy Don 12,163]

25 minutes ago, Gregor said:

My garage door has safety "eyes" that will reverse it, if something gets in the way. At certain times of the day, the door won't close. The light just blinks. This first happened about 3 years ago during summer. I narrowed the problem down to the sun shinning into one of the eyes in the afternoon. I raised the eyes, problem fixed. Every winter I have to lower them back down a bit. I suppose the sun is at a different angle. Then raise them again about 6" in the summer. Funny thing is, I built this garage in '93. Never had a problem until the last few years. Maybe I shouldn't of had the tree trimmed. Just another one of the worlds problems you can think about while drinking your morning coffee.

I had the same problem--same cause, too (a trimmed tree)! Solved it by moving the sensor module over to the "shady" side of the door and the light over to the "sunny" side and changing the wires accordingly. No issue since then.

[squonk 41,039]

Yes sunlight will effect the sensors. The hospital I worked at had an automatic door that opened when it detected movement. During late fall and early spring when the sun was low the sunlight would bounce off a car's windshield in the parking lot and hit that sensor. That door would constantly open and close by itself every sunny day for about an hour until the sun angle changed.

[Racinbob 11,045]

With little kids running around leaving them where they are at is probably best. Years ago you could just jumper them and be done with it but they got wise to it. Now they have to be in the circuit in order for the doors to operate. Here's my simple fix. They I make sure the reversing sensitivity to just barely enough to allow the doors to operate properly.

 

 

You could try Handy Dons idea. One is a transmitter, the other a receiver. Try switching them around. I'm thinking that will do the trick. 

[squonk 41,039]

I've had a stray snowflake keep my door from closing. 

[Gregor 4,846]

My wires are buried in the wall. I figured if I ever had to replace the unit, then I would just staple the new wires on the wall.

[lynnmor 7,302]

11 minutes ago, Gregor said:

My wires are buried in the wall. I figured if I ever had to replace the unit, then I would just staple the new wires on the wall.

 

They come out of the wall at each end, why would you need to add wires?

[Ed Kennell 38,028]

54 minutes ago, Racinbob said:

With little kids running around leaving them where they are at is probably best. Years ago you could just jumper them and be done with it but they got wise to it. Now they have to be in the circuit in order for the doors to operate. Here's my simple fix. They I make sure the reversing sensitivity to just barely enough to allow the doors to operate properly.

 

 

You could try Handy Dons idea. One is a transmitter, the other a receiver. Try switching them around. I'm thinking that will do the trick. 

 

 

That's exactly where I mounted the "Safe Eyes" on all three of my door openers.       When I have a loaded trailer hooked and in use, I park with the trailer in and the truck out and close the door down to the trailer tongue.

[cschannuth 3,816]

1 hour ago, Racinbob said:

With little kids running around leaving them where they are at is probably best. Years ago you could just jumper them and be done with it but they got wise to it. Now they have to be in the circuit in order for the doors to operate. Here's my simple fix. They I make sure the reversing sensitivity to just barely enough to allow the doors to operate properly.

 

 

You could try Handy Dons idea. One is a transmitter, the other a receiver. Try switching them around. I'm thinking that will do the trick. 

I did the exact same as this on my house 25 years ago when my kids were just tot‘s. Like you, I adjusted the doors to be very sensitive and they’ve never caused me an issue and luckily my kids are all grown adults and never had to wrestle with the garage doors.  It did ****** the cat one time but as soon as it felt the cat in the door the motor lifted it up immediately so I’m pretty sure my kids would’ve been OK if they had been caught.

[stevasaurus 22,711]

I've got mine up in the garage rafters facing each other...works great!!!  No little kids.    BTW, did I ever tell you what I think about OSHA???  

[CCW 1,292]

Actually like having my eyes at ground level.  More than once I needed to reenter the garage while the door was closing.  Put my foot in line with eye and door opens back up.

 

[Stormin 9,981]

 My workshop doors work on the Kiss principle. No electric gizmos. No problems.

 

 

 

[dodge78 90]

3 hours ago, pullstart said:

Can you build some dark “blinders”?

 

 

A 1/2 inch or maybe 3/4 inch pvc union glued on fixed the door at work

[ranger 1,746]

16 hours ago, pullstart said:

Can you build some dark “blinders”?

 

 

Just tape a short piece of plastic tube, or a rolled up piece of paper/card, matt finish inside would be best, ( 2”-3” long) over the “receiver”, extending out towards the “transmitter” to act as a shroud. This should stop any unwanted reflections or sunlight etc from triggering the unit. Rather like the part ( hood?)you can fit to a camera lens to perform a similar function in certain bright conditions. 

Doug.

Edited January 30, 2021 by ranger

[WHX?? 48,796]

Some of mine are mounted up by the head. The big barn no as when you walk thru at night it turns the opener lights on which is nice. 

[8ntruck 6,991]

1 hour ago, Stormin said:

 My workshop doors work on the Kiss principle. No electric gizmos. No problems.

 

 

 

Is that a Spitfire in the garage?  A 1500 maybe?

[Stormin 9,981]

Yes! But long gone now.

[SylvanLakeWH 25,495]

4 hours ago, stevasaurus said:

   BTW, did I ever tell you what I think about OSHA???  

Little town in Cheeseland...

Somewhat over-regulated, with a hint of nonsense... any pictures?

 

[oliver2-44 9,705]

10 hours ago, Racinbob said:

With little kids running around leaving them where they are at is probably best. Years ago you could just jumper them and be done with it but they got wise to it. Now they have to be in the circuit in order for the doors to operate. Here's my simple fix. They I make sure the reversing sensitivity to just barely enough to allow the doors to operate properly.

@Racinbob We so think alike! 

My only problem is, every now an then a spider builds a web between the two sensors

[giddyap 1,569]

The problem is we live in the Era of Light. One day when the Sun has spent it's fuel your problem will no longer exist. 

[ebinmaine 67,310]

5 minutes ago, giddyap said:

The problem is we live in the Era of Light. One day when the Sun has spent it's fuel your problem will no longer exist. 

Might be awhile. 

Like several hundred million years.