Most people want to know if LED lights do affect the garage door openers.
since part of the security apparatus at the garage door is bright light — which emits from the LED light. That’s why most people want to know if LED light will affect the free opening of the garage.
Does it really affect the radio operative of the garage door openers? To answer this question, I did some research, here is what I find out;
A 60-watt equivalent of 800 lumens of LED lights can be used in garage door openers and have it work successfully, without affecting the radio signal.
However, above 800 lumens of LED lights will interfere with the radio control signals, thereby causing the door to experience unreliable opening by the activation of the radio control transmitter.
It’s important that before you install LED lights on your garage door, you need to find out if the radio signal works effectively with LED light upon the activation of the transmitter.
In this article, we will learn some of the importance of LED light installation on garage openers.
Why Are 800 Lumens of LED Lights Suitable for Garage Door Openers?
The garage door openers use sensors to function. And the sensor has infrared light that it uses to send signals.
The infrared light is what sends signals to the garage door from the radio. The radio transmission works very well when there is no interference on the way.
The sun and the LED light have infrared as well. The infrared that comes from the sun and the LED light have an effect on the garage door openers.
The infrared from the 800 lumen combined with the sun infrared are not bigger than the garage door opener’s sensor infrared.
The 800 lumens and the sun have lower infrared that can’t stop or interference with the functionality of the garage door openers.
That’s why 800 lumens of LED lights is suitable for garage door openers. This light will provide you the exact brightness you need, when driving out of the garage, especially at night.
Can 1,000 Lumens of LED Lights be Used in Garage Door Openers?
Are you considering buying 1000 lumens of LED light for your garage door opener?
Then you better change your mind because 1,000 lumen of LED light is not suitable for garage door openers.
The infrared that 1,000 lumens of LED lights produces is higher than garage door openers radio.
When you combine 1,000 lumens and sun infrared, you have higher infrared that affects the radio transmission system.
The sensor will not send a strong signal to the garage door for it to open successfully. This poor signal from the radio transmission system is caused by the higher infrared interference.
Sometimes, the infrared causes the door to open but can’t, close vice versa.
High infrared affects the functionality of the garage door openers. To prevent this door from unnecessary malfunctioning, don’t install 1,000 lumens of LED lights.
There are some other lights that can give almost the same brightness that 1,000 lumens can provide.
You can install from 400 to 800 lumens of lights on your garage door openers, if you want it to function at a maximum capacity.
Types of Bulbs You Can Use on Your Garage Door
There are various types of bulbs you can install at your garage door, which will make it perform excellently.
These bulbs are designed with lower infrared that’ll not interfere with the garage door radio transmitter.
In addition, these sets of garage bulbs are designed to make the garage bright. They’re durable and efficient bulbs that’ll provide the exact lumens you desire at the garage.
Here are the garage door openers bulbs:
- Incandescent (ILB)
- Compact Fluorescent (CFL)
- Light Emitting Diode (LED)
Incandescent (ILB)
If you’re looking for the light bulb you can install in your garage door openers
Search no more. Incandescent (ILB) is a garage door opener light, designed with lower infrared that does not affect the radio transmitter sensor.
It’s one of the most reliable bulbs for garage door openers. Though, they are the highest energy consumption with the shortest life span.
Another additional feature of incandescent bulbs is the resistance to shock, bumps, and heavy vibration.
To make the bulb last long, you need to have extra wiring and heavy duty filaments, which help it to control the voltage.
The bulb has a low upfront cost, with no interference with the sensor. The energy consumption of the bulb is too high.
Compact Fluorescent (CFL)
One of the best garage door openers bulbs is the CFL. This bulb has energy consumption efficiency.
It lasts longer than the incandescent bulbs out there in the market. With high lumens that produces high infrared.
Because of the high infrared, it does affect the radio signal by causing interference between the radio remote control and the logic board.
Another default that comes with CFL bulbs is the sensitivity to cold temperature. The light has the capacity to get hurt once the bulb is turned on.
Light Emitting Diode (LED)
The highest and the best bulbs for garage door openers that you can find on the internet and local stores are LED bulbs.
The LED bulbs are more durable and reliable bulbs that you can install at your garage door openers. The brand is known for emitting higher brightness compared to other bulbs.
The lower lumens of LED lights bulbs doesn’t have any interference issues. They’re intermittent with LED lighting.
The LED light infrared is low to interference with the operation of the garage door openers’ radio.
Some of the LED lights bulbs are designed specifically for garage door openers without any issue of interference with radio signals.
It has the best energy consumption. It hardly gets hot to the point of affecting the radio transmission system.
The bulb is built with a steel plastic material, which prevents the light bulb from melting the plastic casing.
The high voltage of lumens causes infrared that affects the radio transmitting system. That’s why a lower lumens is always advisable to be installed at your garage door openers.
The brightness that is emitted from the LED light bulbs are like the natural day at night. The bulbs last longer than other bulbs you can find in the market.
The 800 lumens LED lights bulbs are designed to work with garage door openers radio. The infrared from the light doesn’t affect the radio
Should I Leave My Garage Lights On?
It’s not necessary for you to leave your garage lights on permanently. Especially if you want it to last long.
Leaving it on always, will call for interval changes of the bulbs. To avoid this, it’s better not to leave your garage lights on.
Switching off the bulbs in your garage will help you to save money from the power bill consumption.
So, there are many other advantages why switching off garage lights is important, one of the advantages is that it reduces the rate of power consumption.
Since you’re not always at the garage, it’s better you turn it off and put it on when you want to drive out .
How Many Colors Of Lights Should Be In The Garage Door Opener?
Ideally, two colors of lights should be at the garage door openers. A brighter light and dim light.
These two types of color lights at the garage door openers serve different purposes. Also, the lumens and the watt shouldn’t be the same.
You can mount white light and yellow light at the garage door openers. The usage will be at a different time.
You need a brighter light when you want to drive out of the garage. That’s the essence of the white light. It offers more lumens than any other color of light.
It enables you to see clearing when you want to drive out of the garage. Then turn it off once you’re out of the garage to minimise power consumption.
You can leave the yellow light on every time. The yellow will provide little brightness inside the garage before you turn on the white light to drive out.
The yellow should be lower watt and lumen compared to the white light. So, it’s important to have both lights at the garage to help you at various points in time.
One of the lights should be higher in watt and lumens. The reason for the difference in the watt is the power bill.
The watt difference will help you to minimise the power consumption, thereby pay less at the end of the month.
What Makes My Garage Door Opener Light Not To Turn On?
There are many reasons why your garage door might not open. Sometimes, these reasons might be the light socket or the circuit board fails to work.
When you notice that your garage door openers light refuse to turn on, the first way out is troubleshooting.
When you troubleshoot and the light still refuses to turn on, then check the light if any of the listed below problems are the cause.
- Light bulb is burnt out
- The contact inside the light socket is pressed down too far
- The contact and bulb base have oxidized
- The socket is bad/melted
- The logic board is bad/melted
- Disable the light unknowing
The solution to the problem listed above is explained below.
Replace the burnt out bulbs. If the socket is pressed down, then use a screwdriver to pry up the contact, then, the base wil pressed firmly against the socket.
If the challenge is oxidation of contact and bulb, then you need to polishe both contact and bulb. You can use shine sandpaper.
For melted socket, and logic board you need to replace both. If you mistakenly disable the light, use the setting on your wall to reset it.
These are the common problems and solutions that are associated with stoppage of garage light from functioning.
Once you notice your garage door opener’s light is not on, follow the above method to repair the light that has refused to on.
Conclusion
Have learned that you can use lower lumens of LED lights on your garage to provide brightness, you’re in a better position to choose the LED lights that will not affect the transmitter.
You have also learned the importance of installing two colors lights in your garage door opener.
Then you’re in advantage to choose the one you want.
