Liftmaster 3800 Remote Light?

Beason · Jul 4, 2009

I have a three car garage and was wondering if you could program all three light to turn on when one of the garages open? I know you can add up to 6 lights to one garage, but how many garages can you add to one light?

Since everyone likes pictures

GTO · Jul 5, 2009

Sorry,I have the LM3800,and I can't answer your question,but I would like to see more interior photos of your garage.

Nice structure BTW.

Welcome :beer:

ghnl · Jul 5, 2009

My question is similar. I have three LM3800's but use two remote lights. I'd like both lights to come on if any door is opened.

(and I second the request for more photos)

larry4406 · Jul 5, 2009

I have the same/similar question with 3 doors. Rather than use the cheap light that came with the liftmaster, would prefer to have the opener (any one of 3) turn on the shop lights. Would need to interact with the shop's 3-way switches.

nova65ss · Jul 5, 2009

You should be able to program the lights to work with all of the doors or however many you would like. Just look in the directions on how to program the light and follow the steps for each opener you want it to come on with.

Dave Carney · Jul 5, 2009

Yes, it can be done, I have 4 set up that way, just follow the programming instructions.

nathank · Jul 8, 2009

larry4406 said:
I have the same/similar question with 3 doors. Rather than use the cheap light that came with the liftmaster, would prefer to have the opener (any one of 3) turn on the shop lights. Would need to interact with the shop's 3-way switches.

I have been thinking about this too. I installed my LM3800 but couldn't bring myself to hang that awful looking remote light.

I would also like to find a way to make this unit feed the shop lights. That would be nice!

C2C6Z06 · Jul 8, 2009

nathank said:
I have been thinking about this too. I installed my LM3800 but couldn't bring myself to hang that awful looking remote light.

I would also like to find a way to make this unit feed the shop lights. That would be nice!

X2 here....

kvom · Jul 9, 2009

Since you can buy outlets that screw into bulb sockets, hiding the LM light and running power to another light should be feasible. I use one LM light and have one light come on when either door opens.

porschedude996TT · Jul 9, 2009

I could bring myself to use the cheesy lights either. I think I will dismantle the light and fit the guts into something else...

larry4406 · Jul 10, 2009

kvom said:
Since you can buy outlets that screw into bulb sockets, hiding the LM light and running power to another light should be feasible. I use one LM light and have one light come on when either door opens.

My garage lights are already wired (12 T-8's) and on a 3-way circuit (2 switches). I want to find a way such that the LM light control (any one of 3 doors) can be added to this circuit. I don't want to add another light that is only connected to the LM.

Does anyone know of any relays that can be wired into the 3-way circuit, making it a 4-way, with the relay energized by the LM light unit?

VHF · Jul 11, 2009

larry4406 said:
My garage lights are already wired (12 T-8's) and on a 3-way circuit (2 switches). I want to find a way such that the LM light control (any one of 3 doors) can be added to this circuit. I don't want to add another light that is only connected to the LM.

Does anyone know of any relays that can be wired into the 3-way circuit, making it a 4-way, with the relay energized by the LM light unit?

Sure, a DPDT relay with adequate current capacity could do the job--but making your 3-way into a 4-way circuit is probably not exactly what you want... if the lights are already turned on by the 3-way wall switch, operating the opener would turn them off!

A SPST relay or contactor could be used to force the lights on when the openers operate no matter whether the lights were on or off. The realy coil would be driven by the LM3800 light control.

The simplest way to wire it would be for the relay to short out the two travelers that go between the two 3-way switches. This would ensure that the lights are on when an opener is activated no matter whether they were off or on before. This could be done at either 3-way switch (or anywhere in between where you can access both travelers.)

Note that during the 4-minute (or whatever) delay after the opener operates you will not be able to turn the lights out using the wall switches. You would need to use the light button the opener wall control or wait out the time delay, since it would be the opener-controlled relay forcing the lights on.

larry4406 · Jul 12, 2009

VHF said:
Sure, a DPDT relay with adequate current capacity could do the job--but making your 3-way into a 4-way circuit is probably not exactly what you want... if the lights are already turned on by the 3-way wall switch, operating the opener would turn them off!

A SPST relay or contactor could be used to force the lights on when the openers operate no matter whether the lights were on or off. The realy coil would be driven by the LM3800 light control.

The simplest way to wire it would be for the relay to short out the two travelers that go between the two 3-way switches. This would ensure that the lights are on when an opener is activated no matter whether they were off or on before. This could be done at either 3-way switch (or anywhere in between where you can access both travelers.)

Note that during the 4-minute (or whatever) delay after the opener operates you will not be able to turn the lights out using the wall switches. You would need to use the light button the opener wall control or wait out the time delay, since it would be the opener-controlled relay forcing the lights on.

VHF - you seem to have a grasp on this and I would like more explanation and possibly a sketch. I have 14/2 power going into the 1st switch, 14/3 then to the 2nd switch, and then 14/2 to the lights.

VHF · Jul 14, 2009

Larry, your can tap into the travelers (the red & black wires in the 14/3 that runs between the 3-way switches) at either switch location. You would need a place to install the relay--perhaps adding a J-box adjacent to the box on of the wall switches is in.

You would also need a pair of wires from the LM3800 light to the coil of the relay. You could leave the LM3800 light fixture totaly intact and use a screw-socket to 2-prong plug adaptor, or perhpas hack the LM3800 light to provide a hardware connection. (I haven't ordered my LM3800s yet, so I've only seen the drawing of the light in the installation instructions, not first hand.)

With 3-way swtiches, connecting the two travelers together forces the lights on no matter witch position the switches are in. Here's a crude schematic:

larry4406 · Jul 16, 2009

thank you VHF - will add this to my project list

chrispitude · Dec 25, 2010

The more I think about this idea, the more I like it. My garage will only have a single light switch, but I can still use a relay to short the contacts. I'm thinking I could mount a relay socket with screw terminals into a deep work box in the ceiling right by the Liftmaster light module, then make the wire connections in that box. Since the relay would be socketed, it would be serviceable. I'd keep a CFL bulb in the front of the Liftmaster light module (so I know it's activated), and I'd use a socket-to-outlet adapter in the rear socket to connect to the relay.

Liftmaster 3800 Remote Light?

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