Annoying garage door opener problem

Posted by Mike on May 11, 2009, 3:32 pm

I have an old Craftsman chain-drive garage door opener. It was there
when I bought the house, it's gotta be at least 20 years old, but it
works well (noisy as all get out). Anyhow, there are light bulb
sockets on both sides of it. The light bulbs are supposed to come on
when the door is being opened or closed. They used to work. Now,
they come on for a couple seconds, then go off, then flicker a bit,
then come on, then go out, etc. I jiggled the bulbs in the sockets a
bit and they stayed on for a while, but then resume the erratic
performance. One might guess that the bulbs might be coming loose in
the socket from the movement of the garage door, but that is not the
case. The bulbs remain snugly in the socket. In fact, they work a
little better (i.e. stay on a little longer before starting the off-on
stuff) if I unscrew them slightly.

Thanks for any advice....oh, I don't want to replace the opener, so
please don't suggest that!

Mike

Posted by dpb on May 11, 2009, 3:46 pm

Mike wrote:
...

> ... light bulbs ... used to work. Now,
> they come on for a couple seconds, then go off, then flicker a bit,
> then come on, then go out, etc. I jiggled the bulbs in the sockets a
> bit and they stayed on for a while, but then resume the erratic
> performance. One might guess that the bulbs might be coming loose in
> the socket from the movement of the garage door, but that is not the
> case. The bulbs remain snugly in the socket. In fact, they work a
> little better (i.e. stay on a little longer before starting the off-on
> stuff) if I unscrew them slightly.
>
> Thanks for any advice....

Check for wiring connections loose elsewhere or perhaps even the wire
itself has flexed enough over the years to have broken. Or, could be a
thermal expansion/contraction problem.

--

Posted by The Daring Dufas on May 11, 2009, 4:28 pm

Mike wrote:

> I have an old Craftsman chain-drive garage door opener. It was there
> when I bought the house, it's gotta be at least 20 years old, but it
> works well (noisy as all get out). Anyhow, there are light bulb
> sockets on both sides of it. The light bulbs are supposed to come on
> when the door is being opened or closed. They used to work. Now,
> they come on for a couple seconds, then go off, then flicker a bit,
> then come on, then go out, etc. I jiggled the bulbs in the sockets a
> bit and they stayed on for a while, but then resume the erratic
> performance. One might guess that the bulbs might be coming loose in
> the socket from the movement of the garage door, but that is not the
> case. The bulbs remain snugly in the socket. In fact, they work a
> little better (i.e. stay on a little longer before starting the off-on
> stuff) if I unscrew them slightly.
>
> Thanks for any advice....oh, I don't want to replace the opener, so
> please don't suggest that!
>
> Mike

It could be the contact tab in the center of
the socket. Quite often all that is needed is
to cut the power, reach into the socket with
your index finger and catch the end of the tab
with your fingernail and pull up on it. If you
can't get it with your fingernail, you can make
a loop out of small gauge wire and catch it
that way. You should always use rough service
light bulbs in a garage door opener because of
the vibration. An example:

http://tinyurl.com/qehc3o

TDD

Posted by HeyBub on May 11, 2009, 5:11 pm

The Daring Dufas wrote:

> Mike wrote:

>> I have an old Craftsman chain-drive garage door opener. It was there
>> when I bought the house, it's gotta be at least 20 years old, but it
>> works well (noisy as all get out). Anyhow, there are light bulb
>> sockets on both sides of it. The light bulbs are supposed to come on
>> when the door is being opened or closed. They used to work. Now,
>> they come on for a couple seconds, then go off, then flicker a bit,
>> then come on, then go out, etc. I jiggled the bulbs in the sockets a
>> bit and they stayed on for a while, but then resume the erratic
>> performance. One might guess that the bulbs might be coming loose in
>> the socket from the movement of the garage door, but that is not the
>> case. The bulbs remain snugly in the socket. In fact, they work a
>> little better (i.e. stay on a little longer before starting the
>> off-on stuff) if I unscrew them slightly.
>> Thanks for any advice....oh, I don't want to replace the opener, so
>> please don't suggest that!
>> Mike

> It could be the contact tab in the center of
> the socket. Quite often all that is needed is
> to cut the power, reach into the socket with
> your index finger and catch the end of the tab
> with your fingernail and pull up on it. If you
> can't get it with your fingernail, you can make
> a loop out of small gauge wire and catch it
> that way. You should always use rough service
> light bulbs in a garage door opener because of
> the vibration. An example:

Good idea on the heavy-duty bulbs. It may be, in this case, that the
filaments inside the bulbs are actually broken and making intermittent
contact.

CFLs are more rugged in this regard.

Posted by The Daring Dufas on May 11, 2009, 5:36 pm

HeyBub wrote:

> The Daring Dufas wrote:

>> Mike wrote:

>>> I have an old Craftsman chain-drive garage door opener. It was there
>>> when I bought the house, it's gotta be at least 20 years old, but it
>>> works well (noisy as all get out). Anyhow, there are light bulb
>>> sockets on both sides of it. The light bulbs are supposed to come on
>>> when the door is being opened or closed. They used to work. Now,
>>> they come on for a couple seconds, then go off, then flicker a bit,
>>> then come on, then go out, etc. I jiggled the bulbs in the sockets a
>>> bit and they stayed on for a while, but then resume the erratic
>>> performance. One might guess that the bulbs might be coming loose in
>>> the socket from the movement of the garage door, but that is not the
>>> case. The bulbs remain snugly in the socket. In fact, they work a
>>> little better (i.e. stay on a little longer before starting the
>>> off-on stuff) if I unscrew them slightly.
>>> Thanks for any advice....oh, I don't want to replace the opener, so
>>> please don't suggest that!
>>> Mike

>> It could be the contact tab in the center of
>> the socket. Quite often all that is needed is
>> to cut the power, reach into the socket with
>> your index finger and catch the end of the tab
>> with your fingernail and pull up on it. If you
>> can't get it with your fingernail, you can make
>> a loop out of small gauge wire and catch it
>> that way. You should always use rough service
>> light bulbs in a garage door opener because of
>> the vibration. An example:

>
> Good idea on the heavy-duty bulbs. It may be, in this case, that the
> filaments inside the bulbs are actually broken and making intermittent
> contact.
>
> CFLs are more rugged in this regard.
>

The intermittent filament was my first thought but
I figured that the OP would have had experience with
that before like most tinkerers. I've actually screwed
in a plug adapter for folks and plugged in a twin
tube shop light that I hung back away from the opener.
It sure lights a garage up a lot better at night and
lasts a lot longer than a standard bulb.

TDD

Page 1 of 2 1 2 > last >>

Similar Threads	Posted
Re: Another garage door opener problem	March 28, 2007, 8:15 pm
Re: Another garage door opener problem	March 28, 2007, 8:26 pm
Garage door opener problem	January 12, 2006, 2:39 pm
Garage door opener problem	January 12, 2006, 2:39 pm
Garage door opener problem	January 12, 2006, 2:39 pm
Garage door opener problem	June 21, 2006, 11:22 pm
Garage Door opener - new problem to me!	July 7, 2006, 3:27 pm
Garage door opener problem	August 29, 2006, 2:11 pm
Garage Door Opener problem	January 28, 2007, 7:14 pm
Garage Door Opener Problem	October 6, 2007, 6:44 pm