Garage Door Opener Light Caught Fire

[mark5767]

This happened to me about 2 years ago, I thought of it recently when I was installing lights.

This was my current opener, a Craftsman 3/4HP with 2 100W rated light bulb sockets. I had two 100W incandescent bulbs installed at the time, I think one was Aerotech and the other GE.

The reason I know this is the GE 100W caught fire one day just after the garage door was opened. I was lucky to still be there and reached up with a towel to help put it out. Hopefully it would have gone out on it's own, I think it just shorted out and burned up. But there was a small fire... just big enough to make me concerned that if hadn't put it out what would have happened?

It melted the light socket and I got a new one from Sears. Since then I have been using just heavy duty Aerotech 100W bulbs. I guess I just blamed the bulb, it may have been a GE garage opener bulb or maybe just a regular one, not sure. I kept it the burned bulb/socket relic around for about a year as "evidence" and a conversation piece but then just threw it out after a while.

Has anyone ever heard of this happening? I read a little about CFL's catching fire, but this was NOT a CFL. I would say it was a poor quality bulb for sure, and that the vibration caused it to malfunction.

So my solution is to use better quality bulbs, the Aerotechs are heavier, made in the US and look like they have sturdier filaments with a metal ring inside holding things together. Menards carries them.

Anyway, just thought I would share a flukey garage story... that's what Garage Journal is for, right?

 

[JakeKohl]

The bulb should not catch fire...it's sealed and if it becomes unsealed, it blows immediately. It sounds like something was bad wrong in that light socket.

 

[G_P]

The bulb should not catch fire...it's sealed and if it becomes unsealed, it blows immediately. It sounds like something was bad wrong in that light socket.

Exactly. The bulb itself is all metal and glass. No flammable materials. It sounds like something in the socket shorted and caught it on fire.
Its surprising a fuse in the opener didn't blow or that the breaker didn't trip.

Sent via carrier pigeon

 

[Thruxton]

I think I would put in some lower wattage bulbs.

 

[mrpizza]

Yep lower bulbs, not worth the risk.

 

[Wangstang]

100 watt bulb probably exceeds the factory specs for the socket. I would guess the max it was rated for was 75 watts based on what I have around my place. If you need the output of a 100 watt incan bulb, try out some of the newer LED bulbs. 20w of LED will get you past the output of a 100 watt incan.

Wes

 

[mark5767]

Thanks for responses, I think the bad socket theory makes the most sense, a short in the socket started to fry the plastic and maybe that started the fire. It's still a little weird how abrupt and intense this little fire was even though it was small in size.

It popped and hissed like there was pressure built up then a small burst of flames... easily extinguished with a small hand towel.

Anyway, 100W does seem pretty high here is actual socket and you can see the rating. You can see some melting from the fire, but the actual socket insert was replaced with a part from Sears.

Smaller bulbs may be in order now that I am upgrading the lighting finally, not as much need for lights on the opener!

 

[RECox286]

Another fan of using lower wattage bulbs, no matter the

rating stated on the fixture. 60W gives plenty of light,

and if you get 130v bulbs they last a lot longer, or so it

seems. I've had a number of my customers' "plastic"

outdoor fixtures melt due to using 75W and 100W bulbs.

(that is my reason and it's good enough for me)

Uncle Bob

 

[mrpizza]

The op said the sockets were rated at 100. I would add my own safety window, hence my earlier comment. Technically it should handle a 100 watter.

 

[CNGsaves]

+1 to scale down the wattage of bulb. Melted fixture is sure fire signal that bulb was way too hot.

I'd also jerry-rig a shield of aluminum foil as deflector of all that heat.

I stay with 60 or 75 watt for my opener.

 

[Wangstang]

Mark,
How often do you activate the light for longer than 5 min at a time?

What's the highest air temp you see in the garage during the peak of the summer heat?

Wes

 

[NUTTSGT]

Are you saying the bulb popped and hissed ? That was probably the bulb losing it's vacuum.



Honestly, I'm surprised the stickers says a maximum of 100w bulbs.

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

I'd be tempted to just wire up one or two fluorescent strip lights to turn on instead.

 

[HunterWare]

Those Cree LED bulbs from HD are in mine. None of the issues you get with CFLs in an opener and <10W of heat being dissipated into the enclosure. They work great, provide plenty of light (two in each opener), and at 9$ a piece were not cheap but didn't break the bank. Cree is one of the brands whose LEDs actually seem to live up to the life cycle estimates you hear about so I shouldn't have to replace them for a long long time.

 

[R_adams81]

Those Cree LED bulbs from HD are in mine.

Have you experienced any issues with your garage door remotes not working well after installing the LED bulbs? I've heard that the actual drivers inside some of these LED bulbs emits interference, which can mess up the remote signal. I just got a 1/2 HP Sears opener, and am planning on putting 60 watt equivalent LED's into it (I've read that Philips LED bulbs do not emit interference).

 

[HunterWare]

I haven't... I have six total in my three bays (sommer opener), and no problems yet.

 

[LandR]

I'd be tempted to just wire up one or two fluorescent strip lights to turn on instead.

Thats what i was thinking, just run the leads from the socket and wire it to some flourescent strip lights.

 

[JakeKohl]

Thats what i was thinking, just run the leads from the socket and wire it to some flourescent strip lights.

Just watch your 100 watt rating.

 

[pepi]

Add a 110 relay to that wire; you would not have to worry about the 100 watt rating.

 

[Kevin C]

If the filament breaks and shorts against itself inside the bulb, the now shorter filament would draw more current. Seems possible with the longer filament of a HD bulb.

You 100 watt bulb could have self upgraded to a 200 W.

 

[mar4380]

I believe this is important to revisit. I am surprised there is not more reports of this online. I had this same thing happen with a Chamberlain My Q garage door opener. Chamberlain warrantied the parts and sent me a new side plastic panel, containing light socket, the logic or control board, and the plastic light cover. As I am putting this back together I realize that the light sockets have a large and small "male" post that connect to white and orange wires, these have the female end. My orange or red wire is the one that burnt. I had to replace the end. After doing so I realized that the connection is quite loose due to it going to the smaller male post on the light socket. That along with the vibration of the motor when in operation may be the cause of these fires happening.. movement of motor causing movement of loose connector causing arcing causing heat causing fire..? Chamberlain requested photos, which I emailed, but did not put up any resistance to sending out new parts so I am curious if it's an issue happening. Putting back together was not too hard but I am halted now till I come up with a strategy to make that connection tighter.

 

[mar4380]

I believe this is important to revisit. I am surprised there is not more reports of this online. I had this same thing happen with a Chamberlain My Q garage door opener. Chamberlain warrantied the parts and sent me a new side plastic panel, containing light socket, the logic or control board, and the plastic light cover. As I am putting this back together I realize that the light sockets have a large and small "male" post that connect to white and orange wires, these have the female end. My orange or red wire is the one that burnt. I had to replace the end. After doing so I realized that the connection is quite loose due to it going to the smaller male post on the light socket. That along with the vibration of the motor when in operation may be the cause of these fires happening.. movement of motor causing movement of loose connector causing arcing causing heat causing fire..? Chamberlain requested photos, which I emailed, but did not put up any resistance to sending out new parts so I am curious if it's an issue happening. Putting back together was not too hard but I am halted now till I come up with a strategy to make that connection tighter.

Also, I'd like to add I was using GE Garage Door specific LED Bulbs made to handle vibration, and not interfere with Garage Door cordless openers signals. They say they are as bright as 100w on the box which I thought said they were 100W at first. Then I realized the box says as bright as 100W but only use 14w.

Re: the wattage discussion above : Chamberlain customer support recommended only using 60w Bulbs even though the side of the opener says 100w max.

 

[DGersic]

I believe this is important to revisit. I am surprised there is not more reports of this online. I had this same thing happen with a Chamberlain My Q garage door opener. Chamberlain warrantied the parts and sent me a new side plastic panel, containing light socket, the logic or control board, and the plastic light cover. As I am putting this back together I realize that the light sockets have a large and small "male" post that connect to white and orange wires, these have the female end. My orange or red wire is the one that burnt. I had to replace the end. After doing so I realized that the connection is quite loose due to it going to the smaller male post on the light socket. That along with the vibration of the motor when in operation may be the cause of these fires happening.. movement of motor causing movement of loose connector causing arcing causing heat causing fire..? Chamberlain requested photos, which I emailed, but did not put up any resistance to sending out new parts so I am curious if it's an issue happening. Putting back together was not too hard but I am halted now till I come up with a strategy to make that connection tighter.

Can you post a picture of the wiring?

 

[mar4380]

Can you post a picture of the wiring?

I know most lighting circuits are interchangeable but when I googled it it said most of the time the neutral which I imagine is the white in this case goes on the bigger male post.. and the hot goes on the smaller post which correlates because now that I took these photos of the original wiring the orange/red wire female connector does seem slightly smaller in size, but must have still been loose to cause this.

 

[DGersic]

I know most lighting circuits are interchangeable but when I googled it it said most of the time the neutral which I imagine is the white in this case goes on the bigger male post.. and the hot goes on the smaller post which correlates because now that I took these photos of the original wiring the orange/red wire female connector does seem slightly smaller in size, but must have still been loose to cause this.

Thanks. Interesting that the red wire doesn’t show signs of thermal runaway.

 

[PWC Repair]

I understand this is the reason that electrical code changed to require ALL breakers in the panel to be GFCI and/or AFCI. Cheap materials and poor quality electrical appliances these days burning peoples houses down!