LED lights have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, and this is due in large part to the fact that LED bulbs produce light about 90 percent
more efficiently than incandescent bulbs, meaning they rarely require replacement. If you are among the many relying on this type of light feature and you’ve recently experienced some issues with your garage door opening and closing, know that your use of LED lights may be the root cause.
How LED Lights Operate
If you look at an LED lightbulb, it probably looks as if it emits a constant stream of light, but in reality, it is actually flashing about 15 times every second in a process known as pulse-width modulation. Despite the fact that the flashing is not visible to the naked eye, LED lights flash at a frequency that falls somewhere between 30 and 300 MHz. Because your garage door opener operates on a frequency that falls somewhere between 288 and 360 MHz, the digital signals can sometimes cross paths and cause complications with your garage door’s performance.
Possible Complications Involving CFL Lights
If you’re having trouble with your garage door opener and you’re unsure why, but you know LED lights aren’t to blame, check and see if you have compact fluorescent lights, or CFLs, which could be the cause. These older-model lightbulbs can sometimes reduce the operating range of your garage door transmitter, which in turn can cause problems with performance. In other words, it’s best to swap out any CFL bulbs you have in your garage area, and doing so may solve your problem with minimal effort and expense.
Fixing the Problem
The first step in remedying the problem with your garage door involves identifying the source of it. A large Christmas light display, for example, could be causing the complications with your garage door, but anything that relies on an electronic signal, such as a remote-control car, may also be to blame. If you are unable to easily identify the source of your issue, consider taking the following actions.
- Invest in better bulbs. These types of issues are more likely to arise when you use cheap lightbulbs, and investing in better, name-brand lightbulbs may be your most affordable fix.
- Update your light fixtures. You may have chosen your existing light fixtures because they’re energy efficient and do not have to be swapped out regularly, but if you can’t get in and out of your garage, what’s the point?
- If you try these steps and the problem persists, it’s probably time to enlist the aid of a garage door repair professional.
Technological advancements seek to make your life easier, but sometimes, tweaking existing products has unintended consequences. If you find yourself stuck in or outside of your garage, don’t panic just yet – something as simple as switching out a lightbulb could get it back on track in no time.