What Bulb For
Your answer

What light bulb goes in a garage door opener?

Chamberlain-made openers are designed for an A19 incandescent bulb or a CFL of similar size, no bigger than 2.375" across and 4.43" long, at no more watts than the opener’s manual allows. Some LEDs interfere with the remote, so test the remote after fitting one.

What do you need?

A new bulbThe old one is out or deadThe remote works only up closeOr it closes the door but won’t open it, since a new LED went inBulbs keep burning outOne after another

What to do

The size and watts in your opener’s manual

Chamberlain’s openers are designed for A19 incandescent bulbs or CFLs of a similar size, up to 2.375" across and 4.43" long.

On the package: The opener manual’s size and maximum watts (A19 for Chamberlain)

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Garage door opener LED bulbs Rough service bulbs
  • On a Chamberlain, leave out halogen, short-neck and specialty bulbs, and keep the bulb clear of the lens cover.
  • If you fit an LED, test the remote from where you usually use it.

See also

Watts to lumens
Start over

What to do

Swap the LED for a CFL or a tested LED

Low-quality LED bulbs can interfere with remotes and keypads. Chamberlain’s fix is a CFL, or its own tested LED, the CHLED1.

On the package: CFL, or Chamberlain’s tested CHLED1

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CFL bulbs Garage door opener LED bulbs
  • A new remote or keypad that won’t program is another sign of it.
  • The new bulb still has to fit the size and watts in the opener’s manual.

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Bulb codes
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What to do

Steady the opener, or fit a tougher bulb

Shaking breaks the thin filament wire of an incandescent bulb.

On the package: Rough service, or CFL

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Rough service bulbs
  • Swap the regular incandescent for a CFL or a rough service bulb.
  • Tighten the bolts between the motor unit and its hanging brackets. If the unit sways when pushed, brace the brackets.
  • If a Chamberlain still burns through bulbs, fit its Motor Vibration Isolator Kit, part 89LM.

See also

Watts to lumens
Start over

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Before you change any bulb, turn the power off and let the old bulb cool.

Size and watts

An A19 is 2-3/8" across, since the number in the code is its width in eighths of an inch. Lengths vary by product. GE’s Classic daylight A19 is 4.21" long, inside Chamberlain’s 4.43".

The wattage limit is set per model, in the opener’s manual. For a Genie, Craftsman or other brand, check that opener’s manual for its limits. Some openers have no bulb at all: Genie’s L models, such as the 7155L, take a replacement LED light module instead.

Bulbs not to use

For Chamberlain’s openers, leave out:

Bulbs other than the recommended kind may damage the opener.

LED bulbs and the remote

Some LED bulbs interfere with the opener’s remote and keypad. Pick “The remote works only up close” in the finder above for the signs and Chamberlain’s fix. Genie makes its own LED for openers, the GLEDB2, built to reduce or eliminate remote interference.

A CFL contains mercury. If one breaks, follow the EPA’s cleanup steps: air the room out, and don’t vacuum the pieces.

Why the bulbs keep burning out

An incandescent bulb’s filament is a thin wire, and an opener that shakes or gets bumped can crack it. Pick “Bulbs keep burning out” in the finder above for the fixes, in order. The last of them on a Chamberlain, the Motor Vibration Isolator Kit (part 89LM), is a set of rubber grommets that go between the motor and the hanging brackets to cut vibration.

Unplug the opener before you work on its mounting, and use a steady ladder.

Another bulb to replace?

Bulb finder

Common questions

Can I use a 100 watt bulb in a garage door opener?

Only if your opener's manual allows 100 watts: the maximum is set for each model, and a bulb over it may damage the opener.

Do LED bulbs work in garage door openers?

They can. Chamberlain tests its CHLED1 in its openers, and Genie's GLEDB2 is built to reduce remote interference. With any other LED, check the remote's range after the change.

Keep going

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Where we get our information from

The size limits, the bulbs to avoid and the fixes come from Chamberlain’s support articles for its own openers, with Genie’s page for its own bulb, GE’s for a bulb’s length, and the EPA for a broken CFL. Checked against published data from GE Lighting, Chamberlain Group, Feit Electric, US EPA and Genie.

See all 7 sources
  • GE Lighting, “A Guide to Light Bulb Sizes, Types, Shapes, and Codes” (2022)
  • Feit Electric, “Decoding Bulb Shapes and Sizes” (2017)
  • Chamberlain Group support, “Light Bulbs That Can Be Used in Garage Door Openers”
  • US EPA, “Cleaning Up a Broken CFL” (recommendations for when a CFL or other mercury-containing bulb breaks)
  • GE Lighting product pages: Relax HD LED (Soft White 2700K, Warm White 3000K), soft white A19 (2700K, CRI 90) and Classic daylight A19 (5000K, 4.21 in long)
  • Chamberlain Group support, “My garage door opener light bulbs keep burning out”
  • The Genie Company, Garage Door Opener LED Light Bulb (GLEDB2) product page and its questions and answers, and the LED Light Module for its “L” models

General guidance from manufacturer and standards data. Products vary, so check the label and the maker's instructions.