outside lights working off the door opener

[pudgybear]

Is there a way to hookup my outside garage lights to come on when I use my garage door opener ( sears craftsman )

 

[OneOfEm]

From the web:

Control Devices that can be wired into the Light Circuit

- Automatic Garage Door Light Circuit: Wire a control relay into the garage door unit light circuit.
- Optical Sensor: Sensors can sense of the garage door open or closed.
- Mechanical Limit Switch: A limit switch can sense the position of the garage door.
- Latching Relay: A time delay relay can be activated by the garage door motor circuit.
- Home Automation Module: Use X-10 or home automation modules to control the garage door and also the outside light.

 

[Innovate1]

That information came from here although there isn't much more useful at the whole page:

https://ask-the-electrician.com/garage-door-electrical-wiring/

"relay in a box" from functional devices. They have several variations of relay if you want to do the first option (and possibly for others). They have some time delay relays under their light control products if you want a longer time than the GDO light stays on.

Not affiliated with them - just a satisfied user of a few.

 

[xyster101]

Sure can. Cheap and dirty way is to screw this into the socket and run a extension cord to the outside lights. Based on this visual schematic make something up that meets code.
Or use a better suggestion from above.

 

[AP514]

that screw in thing above..I would Pass...........
Also most openers are limited to 40-60 watt bulbs max.

 

[CJ7VFR]

that screw in thing above..I would Pass...........
Also most openers are limited to 40-60 watt bulbs max.

If you use LED bulbs, you could easily run a few 60 watt equivalent LEDs, which use only about 10 watts using that screw in adapter and a simple extension cord.

Is it the best way to go? Probably not. Would it work? Yes it would!

Jim

 

[alfredeneuman]

A cord can not be used in place of lieu of permanent wiring.
If both the opener and the lights are permanently attached, it would violate this

EDIT: Also the adapter shown has no provision for grounding

 

[tez929rr]

On my shop I have a three button remote - one opens the door, one turns on the inside lights and one turns on a light on the porch of the house. I wired each set of lights through a Liftmaster 955LM. I think it’s obsolete now, but I’m sure there is something you could find that will work.

 

[sberry]

There was another recent thread about this. Nothing wrong with this and they make some equipment for it but if I can help it I make the lights do what I might want if I can independent of the opener. Motion, photo cell, might even switch the door.
My ideal for an entrance I am using a lot is a night light and a motion sensor for more.

 

[alfredeneuman]

My ideal for an entrance I am using a lot is a night light and a motion sensor for more.

 

[sweetk30]

screw in outlet adapter on mine for years now with a 2 row 4ft led shop light at 4,000 lumen . also the other light bulb is still in place . genie garage door opener .

i love it for backing in the garage in the pitch black of night over the 2 little bulbs that were in there .

 

[CJ7VFR]

On my shop I have a three button remote - one opens the door, one turns on the inside lights and one turns on a light on the porch of the house. I wired each set of lights through a Liftmaster 955LM. I think it’s obsolete now, but I’m sure there is something you could find that will work.

My first garage door opener, that I bought back in 1988, was a Craftsman. It came with two wireless devices that can be controlled from the two smaller buttons on the remote.

One was a screw in adapter that you can replace any A19 Edison based light bulb. Then you screw the bulb into the adapter. You can then control the On/Off of that bulb from one of the smaller buttons on the remote.

The other was a plug in adapter with a large push button on the front. This adapter could be plugged into any 120V receptacle, and then you could plug any device into the adapter, such as a lamp, or anything else with a male plug on the end.

I liked this one best because you could not only control what you plugged into it from the other small button on the remote, but you could also turn it on and off from the large push button on the front.

I still have both, along with one of the original remotes. I use them all the time. I have the one with the large push button on the front in my shed so that I can turn the outside light on from inside my house, or push the large button on the front to turn the light on or off from the shed.

I use the screw in adapter in the garage. I put it in a simple ceramic light socket with a 100 watt equivalent LED bulb. My wife likes that one because she can use it to turn the light on or off from inside the house before she puts the garbage out or whatever.

I wish they still made these things. They were wireless before we had Bluetooth or Wifi, and they have a range of over 100 feet! And they work every time!

Jim

 

[tez929rr]

My first garage door opener, that I bought back in 1988, was a Craftsman. It came with two wireless devices that can be controlled from the two smaller buttons on the remote.

One was a screw in adapter that you can replace any A19 Edison based light bulb. Then you screw the bulb into the adapter. You can then control the On/Off of that bulb from one of the smaller buttons on the remote.

The other was a plug in adapter with a large push button on the front. This adapter could be plugged into any 120V receptacle, and then you could plug any device into the adapter, such as a lamp, or anything else with a male plug on the end.

I liked this one best because you could not only control what you plugged into it from the other small button on the remote, but you could also turn it on and off from the large push button on the front.

I still have both, along with one of the original remotes. I use them all the time. I have the one with the large push button on the front in my shed so that I can turn the outside light on from inside my house, or push the large button on the front to turn the light on or off from the shed.

I use the screw in adapter in the garage. I put it in a simple ceramic light socket with a 100 watt equivalent LED bulb. My wife likes that one because she can use it to turn the light on or off from inside the house before she puts the garbage out or whatever.

I wish they still made these things. They were wireless before we had Bluetooth or Wifi, and they have a range of over 100 feet! And they work every time!

Jim

In my case, it’s a roll up door where the transmitter/receiver is an add on. It uses an older rolling code protocol than the newest Liftmaster stuff. But there are on line places that sell a ton of transmitters, remotes and other accessories. There might be more available than you think.

https://www.aaaremotes.com is one I have used quite a bit although recently I have found better prices on Amazon.

 

[tez929rr]

There was another recent thread about this. Nothing wrong with this and they make some equipment for it but if I can help it I make the lights do what I might want if I can independent of the opener. Motion, photo cell, might even switch the door.
My ideal for an entrance I am using a lot is a night light and a motion sensor for more.

My shop is about 100 feet from the house. I wired two floodlight fixtures back to back above the man door, one inside and one outside with a motion sensor on the outside so when you walk up it lights up the door area and enough of the inside so you can turn on the lights or walk to a vehicle.

 

[checkthisout]

Any WiFi light switch switch will get you what you need when paired with a home automation system.

 

[G29]

A cord can not be used in place of lieu of permanent wiring.
If both the opener and the lights are permanently attached, it would violate this

EDIT: Also the adapter shown has no provision for grounding

Do wall mounted power strips or outlet connected garage door openers violate this ?

TIA

 

[alfredeneuman]

Do wall mounted power strips or outlet connected garage door openers violate this ?TIA

Wall mounted power strips are listed by UL as "Relocatable Power Taps" and the listing info says they cannot be permanently screwed to the wall. If any holes are in them they're keyhole shaped to fit over a screw or nail.
GDOs come with the cords from the factory and are designed and listed to be plugged in.
The fixtures mentioned in the thread aren't meant to be plugged in.

 

[G29]

Wall mounted power strips are listed by UL as "Relocatable Power Taps" and the listing info says they cannot be permanently screwed to the wall. If any holes are in them they're keyhole shaped to fit over a screw or nail.
GDOs come with the cords from the factory and are designed and listed to be plugged in.
The fixtures mentioned in the thread aren't meant to be plugged in.

Thanks much for the info on the RPTs. I have always secured the 2, 3, 4 foot power strips using the mounting holes whenever installed in cabinets, furniture, equipment racks, workbench, etc. Always considered a loose mount more problematic than a secure one.