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Flashing and dimming of lights

2K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  jef 
#1 ·
what causes lights to dim in garage when opening garage door.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Answers we might need to help you:

Is the garage attached to the house?
What size wire is feeding this circuit, and how far away is the breaker?

Is this a new problem?
Are you referring to the light(s) that are part of the opener, or lights elsewhere in the garage, or both?
Do they get dim as the opener operates and get bright when it's done?
Do the lights dim when you run one opener or only when more than one opener at once?
What is the nameplate data of your opener(s) - volts and amps?

Flashing lights on the opener = loose bulb, loose filament inside the bulb, or bulb not making good contact with the spring tab in the socket. Solution is to change the bulb or make sure the spring tab isn't flattened in the socket (with breaker OFF, of course)

Flashing lights elsewhere in the garage = same as above, but if the circuit uses the opener as a junction box and then to the lights there could be a loose connection in the opener which vibrates while the opener is operating.

Dimming lights = voltage drop while something else is running, most often a motor. ...hmmm.... Solution is to use larger wires to reduce the voltage drop due to the openers operating.
 
#2 ·
If you have an electric door opener, the lights might be dimming due to everything on a single 15 Amp circuit.

If you don't have an electric opener, check to see if the bulbs are loose in the socket ... :whistling2:
 
#3 ·
Yes We have electric door openers, and no this is the only thing on this circuit. I changed breaker to 20 amp Tighten wires in panel. And still have the problem. Open Garage door and lights on the inside dim and then get bright.:eek:
 
#6 ·
The breaker has nothing to do with the actual output of the power. It is simply a safety device that stops if there is too much current drawn. So changing it won't do anything.

It sounds like it's just a small brownout caused by the motor. Similar to how a blow dryer might cause the lights to dim, or any other big appliance.

Putting the garage opener on another circuit may solve that, though even then, all circuits technically draw all from the same two sources (two main lugs), so if that source can still brown out, though probably less likely.
 
#7 ·
it is a seperate garage on seperate breaker panel, comes off the meter. both get dim opener lights and garage lights. Even shuts are security light off for a few minutes after opening garage door at night. I thought it might be a nuetral wire loose some where. i tighten all wires in breaker panel
 
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