Garage door opener

[Gene Wharton]

I have a Craftsman garage door opener and the button to control it is placed by my door leading from the kitchen to the garage. I would like to add another button near the garage door but can't seem to find a way that works. If I run a wire from the existing button by the kitchen doof and connect it to an additional button, I does nothing. Is there a way to add additional control buttons?

 

[Silentrunning]

It would be far easier to just get another remote and hang it where you need it.

 

[AC Power]

Adding buttons is easy. Remember to wire the pushbuttons in PARALLEL....not in series. Presently, with the button/s failing to work, see if the garage door operates when BOTH buttons are depressed simultaneously at the SAME time. If the door opens, you have the buttons mis-wired, that is, they are erroneously wired in series.

Too, you want to use the normally open (N.O.) contacts on your new pushbutton.

 

[Gene Wharton]

Adding buttons is easy. Remember to wire the pushbuttons in PARALLEL....not in series. Presently, with the button/s failing to work, see if the garage door operates when BOTH buttons are depressed simultaneously at the SAME time. If the door opens, you have the buttons mis-wired, that is, they are erroneously wired in series.

Too, you want to use the normally open (N.O.) contacts on your new pushbutton.

I did exactly as you said but the additional pushbutton did not work. This is the 2nd opener where I have tried to do this. On the previous operator, I used plain doorbell buttons. I had one in the kitchen and one on each side of the door in the garage. When I installed the new opener, I used the button included with the opener(the one that also controls the light) to replace the button on my kitchen wall and the other buttons did not work. I'm stumped. Again, when I installed the new opener, all I did regarding the pushbuttons was to replace the one by the kitchen door with the one included with the opener and the ones on either side of the garage door no longer worked. Help!

 

[Gene Wharton]

I did exactly as you said but the additional pushbutton did not work. This is the 2nd opener where I have tried to do this. On the previous operator, I used plain doorbell buttons. I had one in the kitchen and one on each side of the door in the garage. When I installed the new opener, I used the button included with the opener(the one that also controls the light) to replace the button on my kitchen wall and the other buttons did not work. I'm stumped. Again, when I installed the new opener, all I did regarding the pushbuttons was to replace the one by the kitchen door with the one included with the opener and the ones on either side of the garage door no longer worked. Help! Wondering if the light control feature causes the button not to work as a N.O. pushbutton.

 

[AC Power]

A cable is an assembly of multiple insulated conductors under an overall jacket. How many conductors are in the pushbutton cable coming from the new operator (o/h door opener)?

If you have only two (2) conductors, you likely will need to procure two (2) more of those proprietary buttons from Craftsman. Some of these new operators are using only two (2) conductors to "talk" to the operator, that is, tell the operator to open/close the door AND to tell the operator to bring on it's convenience lighting. In the old days, two (2) pairs, or 4 conductors, would be used. One (1) pair to open/close the door, and other pair to trigger the lights.

 

[Gene Wharton]

A cable is an assembly of multiple insulated conductors under an overall jacket. How many conductors are in the pushbutton cable coming from the new operator (o/h door opener)?

If you have only two (2) conductors, you likely will need to procure two (2) more of those proprietary buttons from Craftsman. Some of these new operators are using only two (2) conductors to "talk" to the operator, that is, tell the operator to open/close the door AND to tell the operator to bring on it's convenience lighting. In the old days, two (2) pairs, or 4 conductors, would be used. One (1) pair to open/close the door, and other pair to trigger the lights.

You are right, I only have 2 conductors so the proprietary buttons may be my only option.

 

[AC Power]

Yes, two (2) wires means the manufacturer is powering AND receiving signals from the same pair of conductors. This is the result of technology becoming more complex, and possibly, manufacturers producing products that promotes their auxiliary devices (additional pushbuttons), rendering the traditional original pushbuttons useless.