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Re: [RFI] Garage door openers

Subject: Re: [RFI] Garage door openers
From: Sam Morgan <k5oai.sam@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 11:48:04 -0500
List-post: <rfi@contesting.com">mailto:rfi@contesting.com>
A little more background
We have isolated it to a 110 circuit
but the night the electrician came out to chase it
it failed to show up.

However before it started, he was a tad impatient (it was 7:15+ at night)
so he had gone around throwing breakers, of course none mattered, as the noise 
wasn't present so we couldn't find and isolate the problem.

The only things he did that night that were out of the ordinary were:
He ran and reset the timer on the yard sprinkler system. Although the times 
were 
in no way related to the noise start/stop times. AND, he rang the door bell 
which hadn't been used in a year as the house had been empty (but with power 
on). I had always been suspicious of the door bell transformer.....

After that night, the noise was back again, but weaker and more intermittent,
Normally when it comes on in the evenings, it's on 10 sec and off 30 sec. 
increasing to where 2 hrs later it was on 55 sec and off 5 sec. Then there is 
about 10 min where it is on doe 90s of for 3 sec then it stops for the night, 
always around 9:30pm

Then after a couple of days the noise quit completely for about 4-5 days. No 
one 
had been in the house to do anything different those days.

Then last night after a glorious few days with out the noise it is back.

To also add to the mix, this noise only comes out in summer when the temps get 
over 85 in the day. It's quiet in winter, this has been the case for the last 2 
years. One year with folks living there and one year with no one living there 
but the power on.

On 8/23/2010 11:26 AM, Ken Winterling wrote:
> Sam,
>
> I haven't run across a garage door opener RFI problem.  Typically, they just 
> run
> the motor to open/close the door then keep the light on for some time (4 
> minutes
> or so).  The rest of the time the receiver is just quietly listening for a
> transmitter signal.  While it is running I could see it generating some noise
> but that should only be a matter of seconds while the door travel up/down.
> Verify with the owner that the ONLY thing he did was open/close the garage
> door.  Did he turn on/off any lights or do anything else while there?
>
> Assuming you have narrowed the RFI to this specific house, have any/all of the
> following been checked?
> * A/C system - inside and outside components including condensate pump, if 
> equipped
> * Heating system (not likely at this time of year)
> * Electric water heater
> * Refrigerator/freezer
> * Attic/gable ventilator fan(s)
> * Sump pump
> * Water softener/conditioner
> * Well pump and/or controller
> * Alarm systems
> * Security lights (electronic controls including photo-electric)
> * Devices on a timer
> * Defective GFCI outlet
> * Battery chargers/"wall warts" for all sorts of devices.  Switch mode power
> supplies are the worst offender.
> * ???
>
> I'm sure there are more but these items jump to mind.  Good luck with your
> hunting and keep the list posted.
>
> Ken, WA2LBI
>
>
> On Mon, Aug 23, 2010 at 12:00, Sam Morgan <k5oai.sam@gmail.com
> <mailto:k5oai.sam@gmail.com>> wrote:
>
>     It's possible an intermittent local noise problem may turn out to be 
> related to
>     their garage door(s) opener(s). What part of the opener might be the 
> problem?
>     How/what might could be done to fix it?
>
>     The house is currently empty, but renters will be moving in by next week.
>     The owner is working with me, but we have previously been unable to find 
> the
>     problem.
>
>     The noise had been silent the last week, but started back up last night. I
>     called him and ask if he had been at the house and if so what had he done
>     different. He said he had just been there and opened the garage doors to 
> remove
>     his work trailer and then closed it back up.
>
>     To add another weird aspect of the problem. When it's noisy, it's only 2 
> times a
>     day. (with no one even at the house) First for about an hour some time 
> between
>     12 noon and 2pm. Then again for 2-3 hours starting about 7pm lasting til
>     about 9:30.
>
>     Again I think we have isolated it to the garage door openers.
>
>     Any help gratefully appreciated.
>     --
>     GB & 73
>     K5OAI
>     Sam Morgan
>
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