The idea of replacing your garage door opener bulb might sound intimidating, but the process is actually quite simple. It also doesn’t take that long or require any tools! By the end of this blog, you’ll be the neighborhood expert on how to replace a garage door opener bulb!
Steps to Replacing A Garage Door Opener Bulb
*We Highly Recommend Turning Off All Power Sources Before Dealing With Any Type of Electrical Appliance*
Step 1: Get a Ladder
You’re going to need a ladder to make sure that you have a way to reach the garage door opener. Often times the light bulb could be higher than what a step stool could provide.
You also need to think about safety and pick out the right ladder that will enable you to reach the garage door opener without straining, getting tired, or having you feel like you’re going to fall.
While you’re getting a ladder, it would be a good idea to go ahead and get all your materials together that you will need for the garage door opener bulb installation. Place the new replacement bulb on the ladder in a spot where you can easily reach it. You might also want to place any tools you may need in the same spot.
Step 2: Shut The Power Off
The next thing you need to do to is shut off the power to the garage door opener. Most garage door openers will just unplug from a plug in the ceiling.
In this case, just unplug the garage door opener. Wait 5 minutes before beginning any work to make sure that there is no more electric current. The last thing you want is to get electrocuted or to have the garage door start moving while you’re trying to replace parts.
If your garage door opener is hard wired, you will have to locate your garage door opener on your circuit breaker box. You can manually disconnect the power from here.
As always, if you are unsure of what you’re doing, or do not feel comfortable that you can complete these steps, reach out to Pacific Experts Garage Door Repair and we’ll be glad to help. The last thing we want is for you and your family to be endangered in any way.
Step 3: Remove Outer Light Cover
The third step is to take off the outer light cover to get access to the garage door opener bulb. This is where the light bulb replacement will happen.
You can tell where the outer light cover is located by looking for a door that is translucent or a soft white plastic. Depending on your garage door opener model, there may be a few screws here and there that you will need to unscrew before the outer housing will come off. Also note that some models have light bulb covers that do not come completely off as they are on hinges.
You may want to wear a ventilator mask while performing this step because it could be very dusty and dirty where the bulb is located. You definitely don’t want to be breathing in that kind of stuff!
Step 4: Remove The Old Garage Door Opener Bulb
It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for – to remove your old and broken bulb!
Be careful when handling the old bulb as it may be very dirty, making it harder to hold onto. We don’t want any glass shattering and causing a safety concern for you and your family.
Using a pair of gloves or a rag, grab ahold of the light bulb while applying even pressure. The light bulb may not have been replaced in a number of years. This could make it brittle and more likely to break.
Lastly, turn the light bulb in a counterclockwise direction until you feel it come free of the housing. Making sure you maintain a solid grip on the old light bulb, find somewhere safe to put the light bulb until you can throw it away later.
Step 5: Do Some Cleanup
Take this time to clean the light bulb housing door, the area around the light bulb housing, and any other area that looks like it needs a good cleaning. This is an often overlooked maintenance tip, but one of the easiest! Keeping your garage door and its moving parts clean and free of dirt is the best way to keep your garage door working like new!
Step 6: Install The New Light Bulb
Now it’s time to install the new garage door opener light bulb. We recommend using gloves for this step to protect the light bulb. The gloves protect the light bulb from the natural oils that you have on your hands. Getting these oils and dirt on the light bulb not only decreases efficiency, but it could cause a fire as well!
Turn the light bulb clockwise until it’s firm and snug. Be careful not to overtighten the new light bulb as that could damage it.
Step 7: Replace The Cover and Plug It In!
Finally, replace the cover and any screws that came with it. Once you have the cover on, plug in your garage door opener and try to turn on the light.
If it works, then you’re done! Congratulations! You did it!