All 5 Reasons Why Your Garage Opener Light Stays On

It’s 2 p.m., the sun is shining and your garage light is on. It’s also on at 2 a.m., 3 a.m., and other ungodly hours. You go away for the weekend and it stays on 24/7.

Why won’t it turn itself off? 

In this article, we’ll check out 5 reasons why your garage opener stays on nonstop and what you can do to turn the light off.

Your garage opener light will stay on if it was activated by the door control, if the motion sensor detects movement, and if the light feature was activated. It will also stay on if the circuit board is faulty and if the wall console needs replacing.

Are you ready to start fixing your light so it turns on only when you want it to? Then check out the repair instructions in the following section of this article.

Here’s Why Your Garage Light Opener Won’t Turn Off

How long has your garage light been stuck on?

A garage is not typically a room that we spend a lot of time in. So, to have the lights burning in there 24/7 is no doubt really starting to get under your skin. How much is the unnecessary electricity costing you and most importantly, how can you get the thing to turn off?

Now before you get into a rage, disconnect the whole thing and go back to the old-reliable light switch on a pull string, let’s see what we can do about your garage light. Coming up, you’ll see 5 reasons why your garage door opener light stays on and what you can do to turn it off. 

#1 The Light Was Activated by the Door Control

Does your garage door light stay on even when the door is closed and there is no one moving around near the sensor? Then the door control might be activating the light. If the light was accidentally pushed on, it will not turn off even when you’re not in the garage. 

Your garage door light should not remain on for more than the factory default after it last detects movement or the garage door opens. The factory default is usually about 5 minutes or less. 

But what if yours does stay on? How can you fix this problem? It’s simple, you just need to turn off the light using the main controls. Here’s how:

1. Press the light button on the door control
2. The light should turn off immediately. Avoid pressing the light button if you do not want the light to stay on permanently.

#2 The Sensor Detects Movement

The sensor in your garage light is always poised and ready to shine whenever it detects movement. But what if your sensor turns on when there isn’t anyone in the garage? 

If your sensor is ultra-sensitive, the lights might turn on in the following instances:

• When something falls over in the garage
• When something blows past the sensor in a bad windstorm
• When your cat walks around in the garage
• When there is something blocking the sensor

If your sensor turns on because it detects movement, then it’s simply doing its job. Keeping Whiskers out of the garage should stop the light from turning on for no reason. You should also inspect the sensor and ensure that it isn’t dirty. It is also good to check if there isn’t anything obstructing its signal. 

But what if you would like to turn the motion activation sensor off? Then you will have to use the settings on the light to do so. Once you’ve deactivated it, the light should no longer turn on when something moves in front of the sensor.  

Here are the instructions for turning off a LiftMaster light motion sensor. Remember, the instructions for the exact make and model of your garage door light might vary.

1. Press “MENU”
2. Scroll and select “LIGHT SETTINGS”
3. Scroll and select “AUTOMATIC LIGHT” 
4. Scroll and select “MOTION SENSOR” and then press “OFF”
5. Press “EXIT” to exit the menu. The light should no longer turn on when it detects motion.

Recommended:

Find Your Product Manual Online

#3 The Light Feature Is On

Most garage door lights have a light feature. This feature turns the light on whenever you enter or exit the garage door. The mechanism operates thanks to the safety reversing sensors. 

But what if you don’t want the light to turn on automatically? Then you will need to deactivate the light feature. 

Here are the instructions for turning off a LiftMaster light feature. Remember, the instructions for the exact make and model of your garage door light might vary. 

1. Press “MENU”
2. Scroll and select “LIGHT SETTINGS”
3. Scroll and select “AUTOMATIC LIGHT” 
4. Select “ENTRY SENSOR” and then press “OFF”
5. Press “EXIT” to exit the menu. The light should no longer turn on when you enter and leave through the garage door.

#4 The Circuit Board Is Faulty

What if you have tried deactivating the sensors and the light feature but your garage door light still won’t turn off? Then you might be dealing with a faulty circuit board. If the circuit board is faulty, it will not turn the lights on and off as it should.

So what can you do in this instance? The best way forward is to contact the manufacturer of the garage door and see if you can get your hands on a replacement circuit board. Some companies, such as Genie and LiftMaster sell replacement circuit boards for some makes and models of garage doors. 

Once you’ve got your hands on a replacement circuit board, you will need to replace the old one with the new one. You must ensure that you have the right board for the exact make and model of your garage door light. 

What if you can’t find a replacement circuit board?

If you can’t get hold of the part, then your only option may be to replace the entire garage light. If your garage light is still under warranty, the replacement shouldn’t cost you anything.

#5 The Wall Console or Button Needs Replacing

A garage door light that won’t turn off could also be the result of a faulty wall console or wall button. But how can you be sure if this is the case? 

Here is one way for you to find out. 

1. Take the wall console off of the wall by unscrewing it
2. Use a screwdriver to loosen the screws on the back of the console. You don’t need to take them out completely, just enough to be able to remove the wires.
3. You should be able to see two wires on the back of the console. Touch the two wires together. This should operate the garage door and command it to close. After 5 minutes, the light should turn off. 
4. If the lights turn off after 5 minutes, you will need to replace the wall console or the wall button. You should contact your garage door manufacturer for the spare parts.
   1. NOTE: Companies like Genie sell a whole host of spare parts for their garage door products.
5. Once you replace the wall console or button, the garage door should operate normally again.

Conclusion

Does your garage light stay on constantly? The light is handy for when you’re coming back home in the evening, but apart from that, it really doesn’t need to be on. What should you do to make sure it only activates when you need it?

In this article, you’ve seen 5 things that you can do to make sure that your garage opener light only turns on when you want it to.

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Thanks for reading, and have a great day!

Cheers,

Craig