[Golfergal]

We looked at buying something like the Garage Door Butler - or one of about 20 different similar auto-closing devices - though the GDB has one nice extra feature - auto-close in darkness (night) that's very useful as we have gone to bed several times and left the door open over the years.

BUT, I worry about these things malfunctioning and actually opening the door when we're away - or closing at undesirable times - and they all seem to have really annoying beeps and erratic behaviors and awful battery life (on wireless sensors).

What we really WANT is a full strength light bulb in the house to be ON when the door is open. Not just a tiny little LED - (there's tons of those out there in wireless monitors)

The electronics seem very simple - wired magnetic or optical sensor, hard wired to an A/C switched outlet/bulb or D/C light of some kind. That way when we go to bed the light cannot be missed.

Does anyone know if something like this is available in kit form? Could it be an easy DIY for someone with basic skills?

 

[danpik]

My buddies dad did something similar to this for a heater he had in the garage. He did not want the heater to be able to come on if the overhead door was open. He wired a standard single pole light switch in a box right next to the door. He then mounted a stiff spring mounted arm on the door that when the door would open it tripped the switch one way and when closed it set the switch the other way. Had that setup for over 30 years and worked flawlessly the entire time.

 

[brric]

My overhead door is monitored by my security system. Flashing keypad light alerts to open door. Very helpful.

 

[hammerlane]

Do you have an attached or detached garage?

 

[Golfergal]

It's an attached garage - so I was thinking the ALERT light could just be in the laundry room - on the same wall as the door into the house.

Just enough so that when it's night - the light reminds us the door is open.
It would be configured so Open = ON / Closed = OFF - kind of the opposite of how an electrical circuit works.
But this also is not how my brain works either. Is there such a thing where the disconnected sensor can be equal to ON?

 

[raylo32]

This is a great solution if you have a security system. Add a zone and a set of contacts for the garage door and if it is open the system will report "not ready" when you go to arm the system for he night. Most modern keypads can be programmed to tell you in plain text which zone is open as in "fault zone xx - garage".

My overhead door is monitored by my security system. Flashing keypad light alerts to open door. Very helpful.

 

[hammerlane]

It's an attached garage

I know to each his own but is it really that difficult or time consuming to open the entry door from the attached house to the attached garage and view if the door is garage door is open.

If you are content on having a light bulb tell you the garage door is open, a switch on the garage door track(where the garage door movement changes the switch position) could be configured with low voltage to a relay which would in turn power on a light bulb in the laundry room. Give me some more time to think about this

 

[gregzoll]

I usually look out my back windows, but that only works while home. There are various systems that allow away monitoring with a smart phone app, and vary in costs.

 

[Golfergal]

I know to each his own but is it really that difficult or time consuming to open the entry door from the attached house to the attached garage and view if the door is garage door is open.

That's not difficult at all of course if one wanted to spend the rest of their lives repeatedly going out to check the garage door - as opposed to noticing a light left on in the house.

If one even remembers to do it.

The point is FORGETTING that it was left open. If we forget to close it - I don't think we remembered to go check it or it wouldn't have been left open now would it? :laughing:

Sorry, I do appreciate the help and inputs here - just being funny.

Of course one could use something like this - but again, the batteries die quickly and the tiny LED isn't very compelling.
http://www.amazon.com/Chamberlain-CLDM1-Clicker-Garage-Monitor/dp/B0002YX7MM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1354616760&sr=8-2&keywords=wireless+garage+door+sensor

 

[hammerlane]

maybe a track switch is not the best idea...maybe a door minder infrared beam sensor would be better:

http://www.electronickits.com/kit/complete/elec/ck1620.htm

 

[Golfergal]

This is a great solution if you have a security system.

And that's where this ends for this house. We're not likely to go through the whole security system install just for this one little thing. Might reconsider if there was one that was entirely wireless and didn't go through batteries every 3 weeks. Maybe something to look at.

 

[47_47]

You could use a normally closed magnetic switch on the door with a standard relay.

Added: You could also use a standard track switch with a normally closed relay.

 

[Golfergal]

You could use a normally closed magnetic switch on the door with a standard relay.

Added: You could also use a standard track switch with a normally closed relay.

Thanks! Something like this? -
http://www.smarthome.com/7455/Garage-Door-Contacts-for-Closed-Circuits-SM-226L/p.aspx

Maybe time to start looking for kits then. I'm lost when it comes to what to do with a relay or how that even works exactly. :huh:

 

[oberkc]

Maybe time to start looking for kits then. I'm lost when it comes to what to do with a relay or how that even works exactly

http://www.smarthome.com/74503/GarageHawk-G07-R07-Garage-Door-Monitor-System-Starter-Kit/p.aspx