Will LED Lights Affect My Garage Door Opener? I Need Your Help.

Do you ever feel like just when you get something figured out, something new comes out and it's back to the drawing board?
Affordable Door & Gate Team
Dave Dubson
[e-mail]

[@ronlitz9055]

Thanks to one of these videos, I was able to get my Liftmaster Garage Door opener functioning again. I had replaced the lite with an led bulb, and since then my door did not function properly. The door would open sometimes 3 feet, or sometimes 3 inches, and reverse, or stop completely. I was a loss checking everything until I found your video. Thanks so much for the simple cure.

[@lakrfan4980]

I have a Chamberlain Liftmaster garage door opener and after putting in LED bulbs I started having problems with remote control operation. The remote control would only work properly when the garage door light was turned off. I reverted back to regular incandescent bulbs and the issue went away. I also understand that Genie makes a specialty LED light bulb that is supposedly less prone to remote control interference.

[@sosgds]

I really appreciate this community! And I love how everyone is giving a different answer with regards to this problem. The reality is is that there are issues about this problem that are selected or specific to someone's area. For example I used to do a lot of work in San Diego California next to several military bases. It was very common for radio frequency interference to hinder remote transmitter operation in these areas. For a Time the CFL bulb did cause a problem to some LiftMaster motors, but the issue was more with the frequency on the board. Thus this issue of the bulbs and particularly LEDs has been around for a while. And in my experience, again based in my area is the issue stems from radio frequency interference. LED bulbs that are not RF shielded will emit a radio frequency interruption. This will ultimately affect the range and reliability of remote transmitters to garage door opener motors. I think the LED manufacturers are getting better and providing RF shielded LED bulbs. But even LiftMaster has a disclaimer on the majority of their older garage door opener motors that stipulated LED bulbs will affect the use of the remote transmitter. Now that LiftMaster has integrated their own LED solution with their new garage door motor lineup this should mitigate and alleviate this problem. As for the genie product, genie has made an outstanding LED bulb that in my opinion is the best out of all the LED bulbs for garage door motors currently right now in the industry. And still there are some circumstances in situations where a garage door system might still be affected by RF interruption due to another device that the homeowner has installed to their home or garage. If we educate the homeowner about this issue and provide them some solutions the majority of them will be okay living with the limitations knowing that they would rather have better lighting in their garage. As always Dave this is another fantastic video that highlights an issue playing our industry. I just hope the manufacturers are watching and listening.

[@affordabledoorgatellc7391]

Couldn't have said it better myself. My hat is off to you my friend. Great insights.

[@stevenwilkey5939]

I know I’m a little late but I’ve had tons of problems with LED lights the first time I encountered it has been about four hours on it before I figured it out randomly opening doors remotes not working less you’re right on top of it but if you go to Lowe’s usually in the garage door section genie makes a special LED light for garage doors that works perfect

[@brandonsalas6552]

Bust open old electronics grab the ferrite cores or whatever and wrap them around the power wires on whatever’s causing and receiving interference i just watched a video on it

[@Kinj_Gaming]

I've only really had problems with LEDs on the new Liftmaster motors. We've had a few call backs and liftmaster's official response was LEDs emit a frequency that will interfere, however it is only with some LEDs. Genie's LED does not interfere for any in my experience

[@johnrower4297]

Never had a problem with led in my chamberlain. 7 years strong. And “curly que” is compact fluorescents or cfl. Those were horrible! Heavy on mercury but “let’s save the planet”

[@GDOs]

Short answer: Yes. Now you’ve got an old motor. yours is less likely to have issues, but if you do, you can actually move your recieved to the front of the garage or away from the light. with newer ones, they should have new tech to prevent it. some other things can be to extend the antenna. LEDS that work are basic not dimable leds that don’t have fancy stuff in them that will not cause interference. they also make an LED bulb that doesn’t have the plastic white thing on the end of it, it looks like a normal incandescent

[@affordabledoorgatellc7391]

Awesome info good to know. Thanks!

[@xHadesStamps]

The last LED bulb you mentioned is a filament-style LED bulb, which may or may not work properly (those things can flicker due to the vibrations).

[@danielamarie5013]

It’s been bothering bothering me but what I did was I just hold the button down until it started to open and then when it was almost halfway up the old Batman again and I’ll do it open and do it today but if you have a home link button which Homelink is a like garage door opener from your car like I know in Chrysler is it on the visor some of them are on the dash of the car and what I heard is if you have a home link button just hold this hold the two end buttons

[@CarriUSA]

Sorry, I’m very late here, but we are having massive problems …so been watching videos. But others are now saying it also interferes with their security system!!! Who thought this was a good idea to mandate them!

[@TheGarageDoorGeek]

Short answer: it depends. Not all LED bulbs are created equal. Same with CFL’s. If they’re well made and properly shielded, you shouldn’t have any issue at all. Mind you, I’ve used my LED bulbs in LM’s, Genies, Stanley’s, Moore-O-Matic’s, and Marantec’s without issue. Put a cheap LED or CFL in any of the same operators, and there’s a good chance those same operators won’t hear their remotes more than 10 feet away. Phillips bulbs were notorious for killing Genie range when they first came out, but they listened, changed their drivers and shielding, and now I can put them in any opener without issue. But this isn’t just an issue with cheap bulbs in the op. It can also be cheap LED fixtures in or near the garage, or even fluorescent fixtures with failing ballasts. So are LEDs bad? It depends. EDIT: I forgot Wayne Dalton. I’ve put LED bulbs in Quantum’s (303Mhz), ProDrive’s and iDrive’s (372MHz) without headache.

[@affordabledoorgatellc7391]

Well said thank you.

[@danielledubson5895]

Good

[@jdjohnson]

I say no LEDs, I've only had issues with them. Every time I have a customer say they can only use the remote in the garage but won't work outside usually it is because of LED bulbs. I will unscrew the bulb and then test the range and it magically gets fixed. Sometimes the bulbs are strong enough to cancel out the signal altogether. I also don't like how hot they get at the base, I've seen LED bulbs melt the back metal tab into the plastic housing on the lift master openers causing light bulbs to not work even if you replace them with new ones. The newer openers don't seem to have as big of an issue with LED bulbs but I know LiftMaster started putting stickers saying not to use them. I tell people to dig out the old glass bulbs or go shell out the money for the genie LED bulbs that are garage door safe.

[@affordabledoorgatellc7391]

Magically gets fixed made me laugh 😅 Darn technology no one is happy when there remotes don't work. Good insight thanks.

[@xHadesStamps]

The tongue for the light bulb I've only ever seen destroyed by arking from incandescent bulbs.

[@alainvu6532]

My garage door opener has issue receiving signals from the remotes. If I turn off the light from the wall control box, it works all the time. I already installed a Chamberlain interference free LED bulb but it does not help. I also operated the garage door opener without any bulb and it does not help. Is that a logic board issue?

[@affordabledoorgatellc7391]

Sounds like logic board.

[@swift4311]

Led lights damaged my Chamberlin garage sensor