Goblins are back again!

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

When we moved in, 10 years ago, five years ago in five more days, I had a LiftMaster garage door opener installed to replace the one already here...because the old one didn't work.  About six months or so one of the light bulbs EXPLODED!  I don't mean it burned out, I mean it burst into fragments.

Strange, thought I, and I changed the bulb.

 

Over the years I have had fourteen or more bulbs blow up.  It happens on both bulbs but never both at the same time.

 

I have tried several kinds of bulbs, but never LEDs because the manufacturer says that they emit "signal" that interferes with the remote gizmo that lets me open and / or close the door from about 70-75 feet in either direction.  Again yesterday a bulb blew.  I'l getting too old to climb up on a ladder to change the fragments and screw in a new bulb.......... and if my daughter caught me even trying she have me put in "a home".  She's looking out for me, but she would do just that in spite of my protests "to keep you from falling and getting killed and leave us to clean up all the messes you would leave behind."

 

Now, all that being said, have any of you heard of this mystery before and what should I do to stop it from happening again...and again and again and...well, you get the picture?

 

I have tried to find any physical shock, vibrations, etc., and have discovered absolutely nothing.  Weather doesn't seem to be the villain, neither does whatever party is in office, phases of the moon, traffic rumbling by, loud noises, or the neighbor's dog being in heat.

 

I'm putting my sanity in your hands because this thing is driving me NUTS!  

 

[Pat Riot]

I wonder if the actual sockets aren’t the culprit. If the contacts aren’t mating because the threads in the fixture end too soon it might cause power to “jump” thus creating an over current situation, like an inrush of current. Also, current jumping from contact to contact erodes the contact points over time.
 

This is just a theory on my part. 
I would have an electrician look at it. 
 

 

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

Well Forty.  At least it's a really short drive.

 

And NO.  I don't have a clue.  None.  Nada.  Nix.  Nine.  I were just bored tiz all.  Good Luck.

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

Mine just keep failing. No explosions. 

If you still have any incandescent bulbs around, maybe try one of those. That's what I'm going to try.

[Subdeacon Joe]

https://www.callhoover.com/blog/what-causes-a-light-bulb-to-explode/

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

47 minutes ago, Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 said:

Mine just keep failing. No explosions. 

If you still have any incandescent bulbs around, maybe try one of those. That's what I'm going to try.

All I have ever used in this disaster have been incandescents.  I never even tested any others because the manufacturer said not to.

[Cypress Sun]

25 minutes ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

All I have ever used in this disaster have been incandescents.  I never even tested any others because the manufacturer said not to.

 

The causes listed in SD Joe's link are all valid causes for lamp (bulb) failure.

 

Overvoltage is a possibility but as there are two bulbs and only one fails, you can probably rule that one out.

 

Installing a bulb so that it is too loose could cause it. Conversely, screwing in a bulb too tight will push the positive contact back into the socket creating a loose contact on the next bulb replacement.

 

Greasy or oily fingers/hands can put an invisible coating on the bulb creating heat and possible "exploding" bulb situation. This is especially true with quartz type lamps.

 

 

Do not use LED or fluorescent type lamps with the opener as it WILL interfere with your remote opener(s). Use only incandescent lamps of the wattage (or less) and type (A-19) specified on the opener. The specification is usually on the opener itself where the bulbs are or in your owner's manual. 

 

Try to find some incandescent bulbs of the appropriate wattage with a 130v rating. Bulbs with a 130v rating are usually "rough duty" bulbs. If you are able to find 130v bulbs, I suggest that your buy at least 4 or more as incandescent bulbs are becoming a thing of the past and are only increasing in price.

 

 

[Long Fingers, SASS#56813]

4 minutes ago, Cypress Sun said:

 

 

Try to find some incandescent bulbs of the appropriate wattage with a 130v rating. Bulbs with a 130v rating are usually "rough duty" bulbs. If you are able to find 130v bulbs, I suggest that your buy at least 4 or more as incandescent bulbs are becoming a thing of the past and are only increasing in price.

Opener manuals use to suggest rough use bulbs, “rough duty” idea was they held up better with the opener vibration.

I have been using led for over a year when I installed a new opener…no issues. Not that it can’t happen but the frequency issues that use to plague openers has pretty much gone away years ago when there was an industry wide change. I would try LED  

LF

[Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L]

My brother works on gate operators and garage door openers and Liftmaster is one of the best.  That is what he installed here many years ago.  He said that the LM opener should not be doing that and you should have contacted a LM representative long ago.  He agrees there is most likley a voltage issue that is causing the light bulbs to explode.  I agree that you need to have an electrician check out the voltage.

[Old Man Graybeard]

Try the rough service bulbs...like mechanics use in trouble lights...they have a protective coating so if something does make them burst...it is still contained

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

have a service contract with A-! Electric.  I've used it to install new lights and change my workshop overheads to LEDs, same in my kitchen and dining room.  They have a guy assigned to me and it looks like it's time to give him a call.

 

I'll let you all know what happens.  

 

Thanks.

[Eyesa Horg]

FWIW.... My openers are Genie and also had the LED warning. I tried them anyway cuz they are what I had on hand and are brighter. They've been working fine for 2 years now and zero interference with the remotes in our vehicles. They work fine from 400 feet when pulling up the driveway and the door is open when we get here. Give them a try, you can always remove them if there is interference. 

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

19 hours ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

 

 

And NO.  I don't have a clue.  None.  Nada.  Nix.  Nine.  I were just bored tiz all.  Good Luck.

 

 

We heard a rumour about that elsewhere, but didn't really believe it.

But since you've admitted it..............

[Okie Sawbones, SASS #77381]

Have you tried a candle?

[J.D. Daily]

120V LED bulbs shouldn't interfere with garage door remotes; because of the FCC RFI std's and their built in switch mode power supplies comply with strict power quality stds. set by the EU which has been adopted in the US.  Electronic device power supplies have to operate at .95 PF leading or lagging as well as near 0% total harmonic distortion.  These standards are why ballasts for florescent and HID light fixtures are electronic.  The old lossy tar filled auto transformer ballasts are no more.