Published on: July 3, 2019
The garage door safety sensors are designed to ensure maximum safety for your garage door opener operation. The Genie garage door safety sensor kit (Safe-T-Beams) uses an invisible infrared beam across the opening of the door, the system detects any object passing through the infrared beam of light and automatically reverses the closing garage door. The Genie Safe-T-Beam system is required by US Law as of 1993.
However, the Genie Safe-T-Beam kit is self-diagnostic. If there is an issue or obstruction there is a series of garage door opener light flashes or small lights on the safety sensors to let you know what the issue could be (see chart below). If you are experiencing a garage door that will not close and a blinking garage door opener light you may have an obstruction of the Safe-T-Beam infrared light. If there is no physical obstruction you may have light interference. If the sun or another bright source of light shines into the garage door safety sensor lens it can cause a false positive and reverse the garage door. This can be a nuisance but good news, there is an easy fix available.
The Genie Version 2, Safe-T-Beam system (Model GSTB-R) has a lens cover that protects from alternative light interference, as seen in the picture below. This updated version should eliminate any false positive safety sensor signals. This is a very easy upgrade to your existing Genie garage door opener that should only take a few minutes to install. You can reuse your existing wiring and mounting locations. You simply remove the wires from the current Safe-T-Beam sensors and unscrew them from the wall. Then reconnect the wires and remount to the wall. The garage door safety sensor beams should still be lined up. If not loosen the mounting to the wall slightly and realign them by hand until both the red and green lights are on both sensors (one each on the left and right sensors themselves).
If an operating problem continues and you cannot close your door you can disconnect your Safe-T-Beams from the operator and hold down the wall control button until the door closes (remote and wireless keypad will not work without Safe-T-Beams).
You have just successfully upgraded your Genie Safe-T-Beam system!
86 comments
Hi Pete. You may need to reset the limits of your garage door (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5qTZCDY8Fs). Also, check to see if you can press and hold the wall console in to get the door to close. If you cannot, try removing the safety beam wires from the power head, then try constant pressure on the wall console to close the door. If you still cannot, once the safety beams are not wired, this may be a problem with the circuit board. You can also called 1-800-354-3643 for further assistance.
both sensors are on – have connectivity, but garage door still will not stay shut, even switched them around – still the same result
Hi Rachel.
Please reach out to us at 1-800-354-3643 so we can troubleshoot with you. Thank you.
I have a new genie model 3053, I can’t get the sensors to quit showing interference. There is nothing in the way. Even when eyes are right next to each other it still blinks three times. Please help
@Max – Please contact us at 1-800-354-3643 so we can troubleshoot with you.