LED Light For Garage Door Opener

JAS

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In the past, we have used a so-called rugged service bulb in our garage door opener. It burned out a few days ago and I am wondering if I should try and go LED this time. In the past, when I tried a particular LED bulb, it didn't stay lit up when the switch was on, like the incandescent bulbs would. It seems like some LED bulbs somehow don't always make the same point of contact as some incandescent bulbs do.

Anyway, in a garage door opener, should I go with an LED bulb? If so, a regular LED bulb or are there any sort of rugged service LED bulbs? Are "rugged service" bulbs actually made differently or is it just marketing hype?
 

Alaric Darconville

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It may be that the LED bulb just doesn't load the circuit enough for the relay to stay closed (if it comes on but goes off extremely shortly compared to an incandescent). If it doesn't come on at ALL then it might be a contact problem, but remember that these are designed to replace standard A19 medium base bulbs in the first place.

Rugged service bulbs often have a higher-voltage filament with a lot of extra filament supports, which reduces their luminous efficacy but also reduces the chance of filament breakage on impact or in a high-vibration situation. They can also have a silicone or Teflon coating which reduces or prevents glass breakage on impact, and absorbs (some) vibration.
 

Lynx_Arc

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If it is vibration that is upsetting the bulbs you could try screwing in a power adapter and then run a cord from the adapter to a light socket not located on the opener itself.
 

Alaric Darconville

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If it is vibration that is upsetting the bulbs you could try screwing in a power adapter and then run a cord from the adapter to a light socket not located on the opener itself.
I've done that with a Y adaptor so I could have a two lamps separated by quite a distance-- and it reduces vibration on the bulbs. Seems like the light in many garage door openers is just an afterthought or perhaps even a prank.
 

Lynx_Arc

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Another option is to just mount a separate motion sensor light and forget the light on the opener itself.
 

JAS

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If it is vibration that is upsetting the bulbs you could try screwing in a power adapter and then run a cord from the adapter to a light socket not located on the opener itself.

Another option is to just mount a separate motion sensor light and forget the light on the opener itself.

I've done that with a Y adaptor so I could have a two lamps separated by quite a distance-- and it reduces vibration on the bulbs. Seems like the light in many garage door openers is just an afterthought or perhaps even a prank.


Those are great ideas. I really have no idea for sure which one I will do, but I am inclined to simply add the double light socket adapter, a pair of socket to outlet adapters and then a pair of clamp light sockets. Having a pair of LED lights is bound to be better than just one. Plus the way the socket is oriented never really gave optimum light anyway.
 
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Lynx_Arc

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Those are great ideas. I really have no idea for sure which one I will do, but I am inclined to simply add the double light socket adapter, a pair of socket to outlet adapters and then a pair of clamp light sockets. Having a pair of LED lights is bound to be better than just one. Plus the way the socket is oriented never really gave optimum light anyway.
You could also just use a single adapter and a cube tap and be able to use 3 cords/lights if needed.
 

idleprocess

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Seems like the light in many garage door openers is just an afterthought or perhaps even a prank.

Or an intermittent indicator that an open/close cycle occurred recently.

On my last opened, I replaced the awful Edison socket with an outlet and powered 3 strings of LEDs run by a a laptop adapter. Solved the sketchy Edison socket problem and provided a useful distributed light pattern in the garage when parking vehicles.
 

TechGuru

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Beware, I've come across some garage door openers that have a dimming circuit on the light...
 

5S8Zh5

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Our garage door light went out a long time ago and no replacement has worked. Looked into a motion activated light once - never got it yet.
 
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