Push button for garage door opener

[gcotterl]

I have a push button mounted on the stud next to the garage door. The electrical wires are correctly connected to the push button and to the garage-door opener because, when I push the button, the garage door opens and closes.

The push button has suffered a dent so it needs to be replaced.

I have bought a new push button and attached the wires correctly.

Now, when I push the button, the garage door goes up. But, when I push the button again. the door doesn't go down unless I disconnect and reconnect the wires.

Apparently, I bought the wrong type of push button. What kind of push button do I need to buy?

[Ed Pawlowski]

"gcotterl" wrote

I don't know what the new doors may be using, but my older opener just used a simple doorbell button. About $1.

My older door opener did not have any safety interlocks like the new ones do. Does it go down OK with the remote?

[mm]

You probably mounted the button upside down. Reverse it and you'll be able to shut the door but not open it. You don't want it to open with a button or someone will steal everything in your garage.

[gcotterl]

Yes, the remote opens the door with one push and closes the door with another push. Now, if the push button would do the same thing....

[Steve Barker]

sounds like you bought a lighted doorbell button. Take the bulb out or get one that is not lighted.

[gcotterl]

No, Steve, I did not buy a lighted doorbell button.

My garage has two doors: a 16-foot wide sectional door (operated by the garage-door opener) and a 32-inch wide back-door.

I'd like to put a push button beside each door so do I buy two "momentary" push buttons?

Do "momentary" push-buttons have a different name? (The Lowes/Home Depot people don't know what I'm talking about). I

[Twayne]

I you "bought a new push button and attached the wires correctly." then it has to be the wrong or a defective pushbutton, right?

Since you gave no other information, I responded to the only information you did give.

HTH,

Twayne`

[Han]

gcotterl wrote in news:83cf2337-dfbb-4dc7- [e-mail]:

In my layman's view, this is how the garagedoor openers (pushbutton or remote) work: There are 3 possible actions - open, stop, close. They get used in that order and then start anew. In addition there are stops at the top and bottom that only issue the stop order. A momentary signal from the remote or from the doorbell-type button issue the action commands. If you get a button switch that switches between on and off, you are energizing the circuit(s) far too long if you only push the button once. You have to push that button twice to have the same action as the door bell with a single push and let go.

[Harry K]

Go down and ask for a doorbell button - that is what you need. AFAIK all of them are momentary.

As for two buttons, no problem as long as you wire them both from the opener itself. It would get complicated if you tried to wire them in on the same run of wire.

Harry K

[Harry K]

Ooops. They could be wired with one run of wire if it were a 3 conductor wire.

Harry K

[clare]

You need a non-lighted push button. I suspect, from the description of your problem, that you bought a lighted one.

[Mark Lloyd]

I used to have an older opener here, with a simple doorbell button.

The opener was replaced with one with a fancy control (lighted button, seperate button for light only, switch to disable opener when closed). The old button is still connected (in parallel) and still works.

[clare]

Doorbell buttond are "momentary"

[clare]

What happens if you take the button off and just touch the wires together? If it works then, you have a defective button, or a lighted one. No other possibility.

[clare]

Actually, VERY simple on the same run of wire - just skin the wire and put it under the screws for the first one, and carry on to the last one. Switches need to be IN PARALLEL to each other.

[clare]

Not necessary, Harry. 2 wires is all that is required.

[gfretwell]

I agree. Had the same thing. The LED in the button won't pick the relay but it will hold it in.

You can just cut the trace to the LEDs.

[Peter]

You didn't say if the "dent" disabled the old button.

If it still works, use an ohm meter or continuity checker across the screw connectors to see if you is a "push-on/push-off" or a "momentary" type of switch. Then, check the replacement one you say is not working properly. The replacement switch should mimic the action of the old one.

If the old switch does not work, figure out which type you need by touching the bare wires together that were connected to the old switch. If a brief touch causes the door to go fully up and another brief touch causes the door to go fully down, you had a "momentary" switch. If you need to hold the bare wires together to keep the door either up or down, and it only moves in the opposite direction when you separate the wires, you had a "push-on/push off" type switch.

[Harry K]

Yep, as soon as you pointed it out it was obvious.

Harry K

[Matt]

A momentary normally open switch is one that is open (off) when it is not pressed and closed (on) when it is pressed.

Example 1: a door-buzzer switch: the buzzer is buzzing only when you are pressing the button.

Example 2: The circuit that controls the motor of a door opener is sensitive to the momentary switch's transitions from off to on.

Probably you should just buy two switches at a place that sells and fixes garage doors.