Garage Door Orange County: Why the Opener Light Stops Working
Your garage door opener light serves an important function, as it lights your way to enable you to clearly see where you are going as you are entering your home. If your garage door opener lights are not working, you must figure out what is causing the problem and take steps to fix it by engaging in simple troubleshooting steps, and you must contact a technician who repairs and replaces garage doors in Orange County if the problem turns out to be more severe.
Troubleshooting and Fixing Your Garage Door Opener Lights
There is a myriad of reasons why your garage door lights will stop working. For good measure, we will explain possible reasons ranging from simple to complex, and outline steps for mitigating each problem.
Simple Problems That Cause Your Garage Door Opener Light to Stop Working
Sometimes, the reasons for your lights not working are simple and do not require that you call for professional garage door repair in Irvine CA. Simple reasons include the following.
Your Light Bulb Must Be Replaced
Sometimes, your garage door opener lights will stop working because your light bult needs to be replaced. Replacing your light bulb does not require that you contact a professional who specializes in repairing garage doors in Orange County, as you can merely replace the light bulb yourself. Just find a compatible light bulb and swap the old one out, and you will be back in business.
The CFL Light Bulb Base Is Slightly Wider Than the Opener Light Socket
The base of compact fluorescent light bulbs is wider than those on traditional incandescent light bulbs. Because the base is wider, you will not be able to screw the light bulb into the socket completely. Therefore, the compact fluorescent light bulbs will not be able to tightly connect with the brass contacts inside the socket, which will either cause the light to flicker or not work at all. If you find that this is your problem, switch back to using incandescent light bulbs.
If you are environmentally conscious and are set on not using incandescent light bulbs, you can search for compact fluorescent light bulbs that taper down to the portion of the bulb that is threaded. You can even choose compact fluorescent light bulbs that are specific for garage door opener lights manufactured by Genie Company or Chamberlain, as these are compatible for all brands of garage door openers.
Severe Problems That Require the Help of a Technician Who Works on Garage Doors in Orange County
In some cases, problems are complex enough that you can only mitigate them by calling a licensed technician. Problems that require you to call for professional help with repairing garage doors in southern California include:
The Brass Contacts Inside the Light Socket Are Smashed
A light socket for a garage door opener includes two contacts. One contact runs along the side of the light socket, and the other contact is at the bottom of the socket. Over time, the contacts will get smashed because of wear and tear, and this will cause the light bulb to connect intermittently with the socket. As a result, the light will flicker or stop working entirely.
If you see that the contacts in your light socket are smashed, do not attempt to repair the problem yourself because one wrong move will cause irreversible damage. You must call a technician for Anaheim garage door repair.
To repair the contacts inside the light socket, the technician will do the following:
• Cut the power to the unit to avoid electrical shock.
• Use a flathead screwdriver or needle nose pliers to pull the contact that is along the side of the socket towards the center.
• Use a flathead screwdriver or needle nose pliers to pull the contact up from the bottom of the socket.
• Screw the light bulb back into the socket and test it to see if it works.
If these steps do not solve the problem, you need a new light socket.
There is Rust Inside of the Light Socket
Sometimes, rust will build up on the contacts inside of the light socket. When this happens, the technician will try to remove the rust by scraping it away to expose fresh metal. If the rust is too extensive, the socket will need to be replaced.
The Light Bulb Socket Went Bad
Wear and tear over a period of years can cause the light socket to go bad. The following indicates that the light socket must be replaced.
• Contacts inside of the light socket are loose or broken.
• The light socket is corroded.
• There is an extensive amount of rust that cannot be removed.
• The wires leading to the light socket are damaged.
Replacing the light socket is a simple job for the technician, and a new light socket does not cost much. These two factors make a light socket replacement affordable.
You Need a New Circuit Board
Circuit board failure can cause your garage door opener light to stop working. To check that a bad circuit board is the cause, the technician will unplug the garage door opener and then plug it back in to restore power. Then, the technician will listen for a clicking sound to come from the motor housing. If the technician does not hear the click, he or she will conclude that the circuit board needs to be replaced.
Replacing the circuit board for your garage door opener is a high-cost repair. A circuit board is not cheap, and the task of replacing it is very involved. Some homeowners decide to continue to use the garage door opener if it is still working to hold off on replacing the circuit board. Your decision to continue to use your garage door opener without the light will depend on how important the light is to you.
If the problem is anything other than replacing the light bulb or finding a light bulb that is compatible, contact a technician who repairs and replaces garage doors in Orange County. Do not try to fix the problem yourself. Even if you read the most in-depth DIY guide or watch a well-detailed YouTube video, these will not replace the years of training that a technician has under his or her belt. Repairing and replacing garage doors is a dangerous job, and one wrong move can be catastrophic.
