Garage opener light bulbs a waste of money!

[The Wobulator]

I've had a heck of a time with regular light bulbs in my Sears 1/2 hp opener. They only seem to last for about two months. So, I went out and bought some special bulbs specifically for a garage door opener at Lowes. They are supposed to be vibration resistant (read more expensive). I figure this will fix the problem. Not! About two months and poof! I'm trying bulbs made for a ceiling fan next. Any other suggestions? Thanks. The Wobulator

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[cm]

Look in the yellow pages under light bulbs. A dedicated light bulb supplier will have a better quality bulb. You might also try a screw in flouresent bulb as they have no filiment to break.

Craig in AZ

[HA HA Budys Here]

Yes. Purchase a portable light with reflector, and one of those plug-in socket adaptors. Attach the light to the ceiling a couple of feet away from the garage door opener, and plug it into the socket adaptor, which is screwed into the garage door opener's lightbulb socket. Be sure the cord doesn't intefere with the opener. Locate the light where I'll be useful when the door is open or closed.

You could also change the opener bulb to a flourescent energy-saving bulb. Not for the energy savings (It probably won't considering the time it's on) but they don't have filimants to jog loose during normal opener operation...

[wayne]

I put in a CF and it has worked well except when it is real cold and it takes a while to warm up! The extension cord to a "normal" fixture is really a good idea as you can use a larger lamp since it will not be attached to the opener and should light up better! I wish I had thought of that solution!

Wayne

[Stormin Mormonn]

I've never broke one to check, but I think fluorescents do have a small filament to heat the gas so it will start. That's why four foot tubes get a dark band on the end -- the filament is giving up tungsten which condenses inside the tube.

[Stormin Mormonn]

In my limited experience. Phillips bulbs blow more easily, and GE are sturdier.

Also can try "rough service" bulbs avail at the auto parts stores. Sold for guys working under your truck with a lamp cord.

[Joseph Meehan]

The garage light should have taken care of the usual problems. I use regular 40W (rather then the 60W the fixture is rated for) in my Genie and with two openers total of 4 lamps, I replace about one per year.

I wonder if there could be some other problem. A floating neutral? Higher than rated voltage? Moisture? Bad contacts? Do you have just one lamp? If you have two is it always the same one burning out? Do they seem to go out more often in the winter than the summer?

[tflfb]

Try a rough surface light bulb.

Tom.

[Alan]

I put a "rough usage" bulb in mine and have only replaced it once in several years.

[Dave Solly]

The Wobulator wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I had the same sort of problem. I replaced my bulb socket with a rubber one. I did it because I thought either the old socket was banging against the case of the opener, or I had bad contacts in the old socket. Either way, with the new socket I no longer have the problem. Warning, the new socket did not fit correctly, so I left the lens off and let the rubber socket float in the opening.

Dave

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Can you improve the mount on the opener? I use plain bulbs and they last for many years. I put the Stanley opener in about 15 years ago and recall changing the bulbs once in that time.

The idea of a remote mounted light is a good one also. Ed

[anthony diodati]

Snip........................................

Thats a damm Good Idea!!

[anthony diodati]

That Might Work better. I was looking for rough service bulbs for my trouble light and a hardware sold me a garage door opener bulb, Said it "was the same thing" I bumped the trouble light "ever so gently" POOF it was gone!!

Thanks, Tony D.

[TCS]

Use lower wattage bulbs.

[Chris Lewis]

According to wayne :

What do you consider "real cold" in this context? -40F or 20F?

[John Hines]

Rough service bulb. Working to date, where the garage door opener ones died in a few weeks.

[Greg O]

I bought a cheap 300 watt halogen flood, mounted a box to the ceiling, ran wires from the opener to the box, and mounted the flood on it. It has been up for 3-4 years. Gives better light too. Greg

[Tony Hwang]

Hmmm.... The bulbs in my opener is almost 9 years old. Try higher voltage one like 130V. Tony

[The Wobulator]

Great idea! Thanks!

The Wobulator

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[The Wobulator]

The Wobulator

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