Garage Door Opener Question

[Robert11]

Hello,

What a great Newsgroup.

I have the typical electric garage door opener; probably about 10 yrs old or so. No idea what brand.

It works perfectly using either of our remotes (from the cars)

But, pressing on the indoor button to activate does nothing.

Is the "most likely" cause a defective button since the remotes work it just fine ?

Or,... ?

BTW: is it most likely that this indoor button is low voltage, and not the typical 110 V house voltage ?

I wouldn't think so, but might the electrical line going to this indoor pushbutton have its own fuse (by the motor somewhere ?) ?

Thanks, Bob

[Stormin Mormon]

My parents have a garage door opener. The wire from the indoor button is easy enough to trace. In your case, it should be easy enough to unwire the indoor button wire from the side of the door opener. And then, cross the two screws with a short piece of wire. If the opener cycles, you know to look at the indoor wire and switch.

Need to isolate, is it the opener, or the wire, or the switch. All this can be done with a ladder, screw driver, short wire, and then a VOM to test various things.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

.

What a great Newsgroup.

I have the typical electric garage door opener; probably about 10 yrs old or so. No idea what brand.

It works perfectly using either of our remotes (from the cars)

But, pressing on the indoor button to activate does nothing.

Is the "most likely" cause a defective button since the remotes work it just fine ?

Or,... ?

BTW: is it most likely that this indoor button is low voltage, and not the typical 110 V house voltage ?

I wouldn't think so, but might the electrical line going to this indoor pushbutton have its own fuse (by the motor somewhere ?) ?

Thanks, Bob

[HeyBub]

1. The voltage is almost certainly 12V.
2. It is unlikely to be fused.
3. The most common culprit is the push-button switch. Replace it with a doorbell switch, avaliable at the box store for a couple of bucks.
4. While you're at it, add another switch (in parallel) so that you can activate the door from either the people door or just inside the car access door.

[Art Todesco]

Probably not 12, but usually 24 VAC. There are usually 2 terminals (usually screw type) where low voltage buttons can be connected. If these terminals are shorted together, it should activate the opener.

Yup. The transformer providing the low voltage might be fused. These are buried in the transformer itself, however, if it works from the radio remotes, it's probably not that.

I'd bet on a broken wire, but those doorbell buttons are sure made cheap.

[John McGaw]

In my experience 24V is pretty much a given but depending on age and maker it might be either AC or DC. I have two Craftsman openers which are actually made by Chaimberlain. The old one, in the shop side, is vintage mid-70s and the control wiring is AC while the newer one, in the garage side, is vintage late 90s and is DC. Both are approximately 24V. When I replumbed and rewired everything in the area in preparation for finally properly sheet-rocking the ceiling I discovered this and had to kludge the wiring to my homebrew LED-lit pushbutton panel by adding diodes along with the current-limiting resistors to allow either variety to work properly.

In answer to the OP, if you short across the switch control terminals at the back of the opener and the door operates then either the external wiring or switch is defective. If you short across the switch terminals at the switch and the door operates then your switch is probably defective. I say probably because it just might be that both wiring and switch are bad although the probability is low.

[dpb]

On 3/28/2012 8:35 AM, John McGaw wrote: ...

If on the switch terminals at the switch and it operates, the wiring has to be ok from there to the opener so can only be internal if anywhere there's a wiring fault...other than a loose connection that makes w/ the external pressure, I suppose is a really remote possibility.

Other than that nit, good synopsis of how to isolate where the culprit lies...

--

[The Daring Dufas]

It's possible that a staple securing the wire may have cut through the insulation and shorted the line thus blowing a fuse for the low voltage control. Then there are rodents that love to chew on soft plastic for some odd reason. I have repaired many a low voltage cable that was the object of affection of a teething mouse. ^_^

TDD

TDD

[Robert11]

Hello,

Do they "usually" have a fuse on the low voltage ?

Realize they are all probably different, but generally: What type of fush style ? Amps ?

Haven't been able (with my back) to get up there.

Thanks, Bob

[DerbyDad03]

Before climbing up anywhere, have you tried any of the other suggestions?

As I said in a earlier post that appears not to have made it through due to Google issues...

Start by testing the switch: Remove one wire from the back of the switch and touch it to the other. If the GDO operates, the switch is bad. Change it.

If the GDO doesn't operate when you short the wires at the switch, short the terminals that those wires go to at the GDO. Get a short piece of wire and touch it to both screws at the same time. If the GDO operates, the wire from the switch is bad. (maybe the switch too, but I doubt it)

If the GDO doesn't operate, that part of GDO is bad.

If that's the case, and based on the fact that the remotes work, simply buy a generic remote, program it and stick it on the wall.

No need to go digging for an internal fuse that, if it even exists, is probably soldered onto the board.

Start simple: Odds are it's the switch.

[clare]

No, it would make the GDO buzz

Yes

Except it has no fuse.

[clare]

Likewize - but do NOT try to use a "lighted" doorbell switch. In MOST cases it will cause the exact problem you are trying to solve - or possibly even render the remotes useless as well.

[andyjwang22942]

I just measured the voltage between the terminals on the back of the Sears Craftsman's GDO and it's 9.5 volts. When I push the remote button it drops to 8.5 volts.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, That means button is working. Some thing wrong with the GDO? Push button is momentary closing contacts. Maybe yoru meter is not fast enough to see the voltage at the exact moment the button contacts close.

[micky]

Good to know. Does the door open and the next time close when you push the button?

[jamesgang]

s Craftsman's GDO and it's 9.5 volts. When I push the remote button it drop s to 8.5 volts.

Some of the newer ones the button actually signals the unit. My new crafts man (really chamberlain) has that. All the older ones are just a regular p ush button. If you hold down a regular push button the voltage should drop to 0 because you are shorting out the two terminals. The wiring resistanc e is negilible so you should see the short at the terminals.