Is Your Garage Door Light Blinking Continuously? Here’s What You Should Do

Having your garage door light blink continuously is not only annoying, it’s also a sign that there is something wrong with the mechanism. There are several reasons why your garage door opener is doing this. The two most common reasons include a problem with the lock button and malfunctioning safety reversing sensors.

Why is the light blinking on my garage door opener? Check the lock button

The first thing you’ll want to do when your garage door light is blinking is to check if the lock button (sometimes referred to as the “Vacation” button) is turned on, and, if it is, turn it off. Start by locating the lock button on your garage door opener. If you’re unsure where this is, consult the owner’s manual. Once you find it, see if it has been turned on. It’s important to note that when the lock button is on, your garage door opener will only work from the switch located by the door. The remote control will not work.

To unlock your garage door opener, push the lock button for 5 seconds. Once you push this button, the light on the garage door opener will flash twice. Once you see the double flash, press the control button on the remote control. If this doesn’t fix your problem, then the problem is more than likely the safety reversing sensors.

If your garage door opener is still blinking, try realigning the safety reversing sensors

Once you know that the lock button is not the issue, you’ll want to check to see if anything is obstructing the sensors, or if the sensors need to be realigned. If you push the garage door opener switch when the sensors are obstructed or not aligned properly, your garage door will reverse, and the lights will blink 10 times. If you notice this occurrence, start by seeing if anything is obstructing the sensor’s field of view. If this is not the issue, then your sensors will probably need to be aligned.

If you own a garage door opener by Lift Master, Chamberlain, or Craftsman, you’ll notice that the sender sensor will usually shine a yellow light and the receiver sensor will usually shine a green light. If you see that the sender sensor is not yellow and the receiver sensor is not green, then this means that your sensors are probably off.

For all other models, you’ll want to read the owner’s manual. Once you know that your sensors are off, you’ll need to realign them. Follow the directions below.

1. There are two sensors you’ll need to locate, the sending sensor and the receiving sensor. You will find these sensors by the garage door track.
2. After you have located these sensors, equip yourself with either a measuring tape or a ruler. Your sensors should be positioned 6 inches above the garage floor.
3. Measure the distance from the floor to the sensors to see if they’re aligned properly. If they’re not, then you’ll need to readjust them.
4. To readjust your safety reversing sensors, use a wrench to loosen the wing nut.
5. Once the wing nut is loose, adjust the sensors either up or down until the LED light quits flickering and produces a steady glow.
6. After you have adjusted each of the sensors into the right position, tighten the wing nuts until snug. Make sure that you don’t overtighten.

Now that you have repositioned your safety reversing sensors, give your garage door opener a try and see if it works properly.

The wiring could be the reason why your garage door light is blinking continuously

Another reason why your garage door light is blinking could be a result of bad wiring. The wires that you’ll want to inspect include those running from the sensors to the motor. Once you locate these wires, see if any of them are disconnected. If so, reconnect the wires; and if they’re worn through, you’ll need to replace them.

Many garage door openers will also have a circuit board located on the back of the motor. This circuit board usually features a service light that’ll blink when there’s an error with the mechanism. This is also a great way to see why your garage door opener is blinking continuously. For most older units, use the information below to see what the issue is.

• Circuit board blinks once: Sensor wires are disconnected.
• Circuit board blinks twice: Sensor wires have been shorted.
• Circuit board blinks a third time: The sensors are misaligned.

Now, if you own a newer model with an arrow light for both up and down, you’ll want to use the information below to detect the issue:

• Arrow blinks up and then blinks down: The sensor wires have been disconnected.
• Arrow blinks up once and then down twice: The sensor wired have been shorted.
• Arrow blinks up once and down 4 times: The sensors need to be realigned or there’s something in the field of view.
• Arrow blinks up 4 times and down 6 times: The sensor eyes are misaligned for a short period.

If you follow these easy steps, you should be able to get your garage door opener working in no time. On the other hand, if you still can’t get it to work, you may need to call a professional or even invest in a new system.

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Michael Joseph

Michael Joseph has more than 20 years of hands-on experience as an avid home handyman and had 10 years in the construction industry, specifically in the field of HVAC.

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