Garage door sensor/sunlight question

[divotdiva]

Hello!

I have an issue with my garage door sensors.

In the summer time (may - sept in phoenix) the late afternoon sun shines directly on one of my senors triggering the automatic reverse mechanism and making it nearly impossible to close. I have to try to block the sun with the shadow of my body or something else and then try to close it. This doesn't always work. It seems the intense sun often causes the sensor to malfunction for a little while.

This is sooooo frustrating. We are about to embark upon our 4th summer with this situation and I need a solution! re-routing the sensors (facing each other on the wall or ceiling) is not an option due to kids and pets.

I'd also prefer not to solve it by parking my vehicle outside the garage.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance, Lisa

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I would think a tube or "tunnel" of some sort, several inches long, over the sensor would serve to keep the sun off the sensor. Fab it from sheet metal and paint it flat black.

Charles

 

[IDASHO]

Yeah, just fabricate a shade for it.

 

[RWD]

they do make shade kits for some sensors. Here's one for the Liftmaster sensors:
http://www.liftmaster-garage-door-openers.com/accessories.htm

(scroll down 3/4 page)

 

[nissan_crawler]

That shade should work well. We ended up with ours in the rafters, not because of sun, but snow would blow in when we opened the doors, and we were going through 4-10 sensors per year.

 

[divotdiva]

Thanks for the great suggestions. I'll look into that sensor sun shield and see if it's compatible with my bracket. If not I'm sure we can fabricate something.

Thanks for the help!

Lisa

 

[Worsedog]

Maybe toilet paper tubes painted flat black on the inside?

 

[Kevin54]

Thanks for the great suggestions. I'll look into that sensor sun shield and see if it's compatible with my bracket. If not I'm sure we can fabricate something.

Even just a flat piece of metal on the door side of the sensor to block the sun will work. My dad fought the same thing with his sensors.

 

[JohnZ]

I had the same issue with mine early in the morning - the sun shone directly into the one with the amber LED. I reversed them so the one with the green LED is in that position now, problem solved.

 

[will02]

I had the same issue with mine early in the morning - the sun shone directly into the one with the amber LED. I reversed them so the one with the green LED is in that position now, problem solved.

Bingo, just change the sensors from one side to the other. Fought mine for a year or two before a friend of mine told me this, felt like a smuck when it took two minutes too fix!