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
I have model 2128 with Wi-Fi wall switch. It seems I am not getting power to the safety beam sensor. No lights on both. I check the wire connections and seems to be fine. What is voltage across the sensor terminals or at the opener. Is there any way to by pass till this gets fixed
I agree with Rich. Can you make a software/firmware enhancement that will allow the beam to turn on light when the garage door is open, the light is off and someone breaks the beam.
@John – Please reach out to us at 1-800-354-3643 so we can assist you.
safe-t-beam red light blinks three times repeatedly. I have had this opener for two years. The chart above says “determine the source of interference”. What type of interference? What would typically cause it? UFO’s? How can I determine the source of interference? There is very little troubleshooting info in the manuals. I need instructions like: “verify the wire is not worn, broken, or shorted out” and connected to both ends". What else? What is interference? Can you give examples? How would I know its a malfunctioning sensor? Is there a sensor check? Can I use a volt meter to check voltage or resistance?
@Carl – No, you cannot.