Garage door opener blows bulbs

[fast823]

House I just moved into has a master mechanic garage door opener that will blow the bulb as soon as it turns on. Is there a way to fix this?

 

[Mr_fixit]

try fluorescent or rough duty...

 

[luvit]

i can't fit CFLs into my garage door opener, but if you can, that would be a great solution.
i think i've only had 3 different CFLs blow in 8 years.

.

 

[fast823]

Will try one of them thanks. If that blows I am going to see what the amps are going to the bulb when it tries to light up.

 

[luvit]

mine blow all the time and usually just don't have operating bulbs. lol
.. i've been meaning to get different bulbs or motion sensing.

.

 

[pattenp]

There is something extremely wrong here for a bulb to blow from just being turned on.

 

[fast823]

There is something extremely wrong here for a bulb to blow from just being turned on.

That is why I asked here to get some ideas.

 

[pattenp]

I don,t have a clue right off. But I don't see the solution as being just to stick in a different type bulb. Unless the bulbs you are using are some off brand cheapies. Check the voltage at the socket.

 

[kbs2244]

Bulbs blowing at turn on is most often due to overvoltage.
The motor will work, maybe a bit fast, but since it is such a short time on you are not damaging it.
Get someone to check the voltage at the outlet.
If it is high it may take some detective work to find the reason.

 

[RCStocker]

Cheap bulbs will go out with very little vibration.
Check the current draw. If it is not a full 110 that can cause the bulb not to burn properly
The better the vaccume in the bulb the longer it will burn. There have been bulbs that have burned for 50 or more years.
If you want to sit in your car until the lights comeon get the new type.
There is a company making condesnet bulbs for comercial use. I have the name of the company but it is back on the farm in my office there.

Make sure the socket is grounded properly and that there is a full 110 volts. If that is fine you just have a crappy batch of bulbs. There should be no power surge

 

[mikester]

I had that problem with the old Craftsman opener that was in my garage. I think I used either a rough service or an appliance bulb.

 

[MrMark]

There are "garage door opener" bulbs right at Home Depot. They are rough service. The vibration of the operator will kill regular bulbs. Your operator may be causing too much vibration too.

 

[luvit]

yeah, i never thought anything was wrong with my garage door opener either.. it's a tough environment.
besides, if a bulb is gonna blow, a bulb almost always blows when the switch it flicked-on and bulbs that never or rarely get turned off can last for years at a time.

i never thought of appliance bulbs & never heard of rough service bulbs or garage door opener bulbs. thanks!

.

 

[fast823]

Will try a appliance bulb when I get home.

 

[MrMark]

You don't want an appliance bulb. They are not rough service.

 

[rlitman]

The better the vaccume in the bulb the longer it will burn. There have been bulbs that have burned for 50 or more years.

This is all nuts. Bulbs aren't vaccumed any more anyway. They mostly have argon inside.
Yes, carbon bulbs from Edison's time are still burning. No, it is not a conspiracy. The added cost of electricity to run such bulbs makes them an awful choice for any application other than mood lighting. When it comes to incandescent bulbs, bulbs that burn out in under 1000 hours is actually the better side of the compromise.

Will try a appliance bulb when I get home.

Appliance bulbs are not what you want. Appliance bulbs have a higher wattage in a smaller capsule.
If you want to use an incandescent bulb, get either a rough-duty bulb (which usually has a silicone skin on the glass to prevent shattering), or a fan bulb. They are designed to run just a little bit cooler by using thicker, but longer filaments with extra support wires. This greatly reduces the watt/lumen efficiency, but makes the bulb last longer.

Personally, I've had the best luck with the curlicue fluorescents. Be sure to get the instant start ones rated to start at -20F. They make ones that fit in the same space as a 60W bulb nowadays, and they are much more vibration resistant.

 

[Falcon67]

A CFL would be worth a try, provided the opener doesn't have a motion sensor on it. 99% sure the motion sensor would not be compatible. Our $300 late model opener will not work with CFLs.

 

[rlitman]

A CFL would be worth a try, provided the opener doesn't have a motion sensor on it. 99% sure the motion sensor would not be compatible. Our $300 late model opener will not work with CFLs.

Good point. If that's the case, if you have two bulbs, you can still probably use a CFL in one.

 

[fast823]

Thanks for all the good info. I had appliance bulb and tried it and it works. It is only a 40 watt so will pick up a heavy duty or rough service bulb next time I am at store.

Thanks again garage journal.

 

[FluxCore]

Screw a 120V outlet socket into the door opener socket and then simply plug in a surface mount floresent shoplight....done deal

http://compare.ebay.com/like/350629958163?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar

.....and ignore my spelling lest you fail to get the idea