Problem with the safety sensors

[Blazito]

About a year ago I replaced the garage door opener with a Genie model. Everything has worked fine up until recently. What happens is, when I open the garage door, the safety sensors die. The red light goes out completely. This doesn't happen every time, but has happened 3 times in the last week or so. I unplugged the garage door opener and checked on the wiring. Unscrewed the wires at the safety sensor base, readjusted them and re-tightened. Plugged the garage door opener back in and the light on the sensors was still off. unplugged the unit back off for about 10 minutes, plugged it back in and the light turned on and I was able to close the garage door. Is it the wiring or are the sensors going bad? How do I find out what's causing the problem?

I also noticed that when I plug-in the garage opener into the outlet, there is a brief spark. There are actually black melted marks on the prongs of the plug. I read that a brief spark can be normal for some electric devices? Doesn't sound normal.

[TJR]

You might want to check and see if your opener is on Genies recall list.

Product Recall | The Genie Company

[Blazito]

Thanks for the heads up. Fortunately, my unit is not on the recall list.

[TJR]

OK, as you didn't say what model, but install in the last year, it was a good chance to be on the list of Genie recalls.
Take the sensor up to the motor head and connect them to the motor head with a piece of wire and have them lens to lens and see if it works. To eliminate the wiring and sometime when they go bad the distance of reach can get shorter. Might go Home Depot or Lowes and buy new safety sensor for Genie and gently try and see if that works, if it don't work and you keep it nice you might be able to get your money back where you bought them.

I yet some concern of the spark and burn marks on your plug. Not a huge draw when you plug it in, it's not like you power the motor as you plug it in. I worked with a Chamberlain opener today and did not see or hear any spark when I plug it in, I know it's not the same brand.

[garagedoorsreno]

So many guys seem to have problem with safety sensors, why is that?

[Castle Garage Doors]

It sounds like your garage door sensors are not aligned. I just posted a blog on this exact problem. You have a receiving and a transmitting sensor. The transmitting sensor LED will stay constantly illuminated. The receiving sensor LED will only illuminate when it is facing the transmitting sensor. Garage door sensors are a constant issue.

[Castle Garage Doors]

Maintenance every year on your garage door helps prevent many different issues. In San Diego we get weather from hot to cool with some crazy humidity. All of these effect your garage door operation.

[swiftgarage]

Try a chamberlain or liftmaster opener