Garage Door Sensor Not Working in the Cold

There are plenty of issues that can accompany the arrival of cold weather, but a faulty garage door sensor is unlikely to be the one that comes to mind. However, it happens a lot — especially in very cold climates, or in areas where there’s a “cold snap” even if the weather is typically very warm. Homeowners should keep that in mind because their garage door sensors are often a part of their home automation and security system. If the garage door sensor isn’t working properly because of the outside temperature, then something will need to be done. But why would the weather matter? Garage door sensors are sensitive, and they can freeze, frost over, and struggle with plummeting temperatures due to their inner workings. In order to fix the issue, it may be necessary to find a way to keep the garage warmer. A better or more weather-resistant sensor may also be an option.

Garage door sensors are very important

Having garage door sensors matters. You don’t want to perform a garage door sensor bypass unless you have no other option. These are designed to do several things. Most notably, though, they focus on whether there is anything in the way of the door when it closes. If there’s something — or someone — in the way, the sensors are supposed to stop the door from closing and send it back to its open position.

If the sensors aren’t in the right place, or if they’re not working right because of the temperature in the garage, then it’s possible that someone could be seriously injured or even killed by the garage door. Additionally, the door may not open or close correctly at all if there aren’t proper sensors or if those sensors aren’t registering the right way. That’s very important to keep in mind because the sensitivity of a garage door sensor is something that may not always be top of mind — until those sensors suddenly aren’t working right and something has to be done about it.

Temperature can easily affect a door sensor

A door sensor for a garage can be easily affected by temperature. That means a very cold day may render the sensor effectively useless, at least for a period of time until things warm up. Waiting for a warmer time is an option, as is warming the sensors with a hair dryer or other small heater. You can also work with a security company to find ways to place and better protect the sensors.

Make sure the security company is a good one

If you work with a good security company that has high quality equipment, there’s a smaller chance of having problems with things like temperature. When seeking out that company the homeowner should also look for:

• good customer service

• reliable monitoring on a 24/7 basis

• ease of installation

• fast response times

There’s much more to a security company than just the garage door sensors they offer. A dedicated homeowner will do their research, and make sure they select the right company for the job.

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Lauren Slade is a Dallas-based writer and editor.