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How to Manually Open a Garage Door
When the clouds roll in, and the wind picks up, you know bad weather is coming. Whether you’re in your car heading home through the pouring rain or waiting out the storm from the comfort of your living room, violent wind and weather can be unnerving — especially when the power goes out. In addition to the inconvenience of having no light or cable, you face other problems when the electricity is out — like the inability to open your garage doors.
Since there’s no electricity, a garage door opener without a battery backup won’t work after a power outage. Whether you’ve pulled into your driveway and realize you can’t get into the house or you’re trapped inside with no way to get your car from the garage, when your door won’t open or close, it is a problem. With the wind howling and lightning flashing, you can’t help but wonder — can you manually open a garage door? No matter the weather, we’re here to help you get that door to budge.
Why Would You Need to Open a Garage Door Manually?
There are several scenarios in which you would need to know how to open a locked garage door manually. Some situations may be emergencies, so it’s crucial to know how to manually open a garage door.
The most common reason is a power outage. In this case, your automatic garage door opener won’t be able to function. The door could get stuck halfway up or down, or you could get stuck inside or outside the garage.
Another cause is a faulty garage door opener, which can malfunction without proper servicing or as the result of a misaligned photo-eye. In this case, it’s important to know how to operate the door manually while awaiting repairs. Knowing how to open and close the garage door manually can prevent inconveniences and keep your possessions protected.
Safety Steps to Take Before Opening a Garage Door Manually
The safest and best option if your garage door no longer opens automatically is to call a professional. Before you attempt to open or close a garage door, it’s crucial to take these precautionary steps:
- Inspect the door: Look for damaged parts like stuck rollers, broken springs or blocked sensors. Check that there are no obstructions that may be preventing the door from opening or closing. Inspecting for potential issues can prevent injuries or further damage when you manually open or close the garage door.
- Clear and clean: Sweep away any dirt or dust buildup that may have collected in the rollers or along the sensors. Move items out of the way that you could trip on when opening the door. Cleaning up the space near the garage door can help prevent injury and make the process easier.
- Gather and organize tools: Before you start working on the garage door, it’s important to set aside the right tools. Typically, you’ll need to keep a ladder or step stool nearby and gloves to protect your hands when handling the door.
How to Open a Garage Door With No Power
If your garage door doesn’t work after a power outage, stay calm. Every modern garage door should come with an emergency release kit to open it manually. There should also be a system installed in your garage that allows you to manually open the door from the inside or outside. Next time you’re without power, and you need to get out to drive to work or get in during a pounding rainstorm, you can use a few simple steps to pull that garage door open successfully.
How to Manually Open a Garage Door From the Inside
If you’re inside the garage, it’s important to know how to let yourself out. If you’re alone and not sure what to do, it’s best to call an expert immediately. If you’re confident you can get out without help, follow the steps below:
- Unlock the door: Find any locks or latches near the outside of the garage door and make sure they’re open — so they won’t interfere with you manually opening the door.
- Unplug the opener: Disconnect the power cord to the automatic door opener.
- Find the emergency release cord: Locate the emergency release cord, which has a red handle and hangs from the center rail of the garage door track. This red cord attaches to the trolley, which connects the arm of your garage door to this center track. You should never use the emergency release handle when the garage door is opened.
- Pull the cord: Pull down on the emergency manual release handle. This cord should disconnect the garage door from the trolley and allow you to move it manually.
- Lift the garage door: Pull straight from the bottom and stop when the door halts. Ensure it stays in place before letting go and backing your car out.
- Close the garage door manually: Once you’ve made it outside, pull the door down by hand to close it again. If your door has a lock bar, manually slide it to lock.
How to Manually Open a Garage Door From the Outside
If you need to access your garage and can’t get in, try the following steps to gain entry:
- Find the emergency release kit: Near the top of your garage door, you should find a small lock. This lock stores an emergency release cable. You’ll also need the corresponding key.
- Unlock the emergency release cord: Turn the key and pull out the lock tumbler to reveal a cable. This cord triggers the release mechanism, putting your door into manual mode.
- Unlock the garage door: Lower down from the emergency release kit, another lock next to a handle keeps the door itself closed. With your key, unlock the door and turn the handle so that it is vertical.
- Lift the door: Pull the garage door straight up with your hands — and make sure it stays open before driving your car inside the garage.
- Close the door: When you’re inside, pull the garage door down to a closed position.
Safety Tips for Manually Opening Your Garage Door
When you open a garage door by hand, make sure to stay safe.
- Unplug the automatic door opener: Unplugging the garage door opener before you try to manually open or reconnect your garage door will keep you safe. If the power comes back on, the opener might attempt to open the door while it is disengaged, which can make it harder to reconnect.
- Know when to call a technician: If you disengage the trolley and the garage door is difficult to move, you might have a problem with your springs. Your garage door springs are dangerous to work with, so you will need the help of a professional.
- Don’t pull the emergency release while the garage door is open: If your door is open or ajar, you might be wondering how to close a garage door after a power outage. Never use the emergency release when the door is open, or the weight of the door could come crashing down. It’s best to wait until your power comes back on before trying to close the door or call a garage door technician to help.
- Don’t leave the open door unattended: When the power is out and your garage door has disengaged from the automatic opener, there is nothing in place to keep the door from slamming shut. Even a forceful wind could cause the door to close. Keep the doorway clear and children a safe distance away. Make sure to close the garage door as soon as you can.
- Use the manual lock: A metal manual lock should be next to your garage door. When the power is out, the automatic lock on your garage door is inactive. Slide the manual lock into place to keep your home protected during an outage.
- Watch for issues: If the door shakes or moves unevenly after you reconnect it, something might have gone wrong. In that case, it’s best to contact a professional.
How to Reset a Garage Door After a Power Outage
If your garage door opener stopped working after a power outage, the solution might be as simple as reconnecting your garage door to the opener. If you’ve tried reconnecting and it still doesn’t work, it may be time to call a garage door technician.
How to Reconnect an Opener With an Automatic Trolley:
Most garage door openers have an automatic trolley. If your door has one, the process of reconnecting the garage door with the opener is simple. All you have to do is reset your garage door after the power outage is over.
- Shut the door: Make sure the garage door is completely shut. There should be no gaps between the door and the floor.
- Plug the opener back in: If you still have the automatic opener unplugged, you’ll need to plug it back in to reconnect it automatically.
- Activate the remote: If there are two separate buttons to open and close the door, press the button to close it. Doing so should engage the opener and allow it to reconnect on its own.
- Watch it reconnect: Wait for the reconnection process to complete. The chain should move the trolley into place and connect it to the garage door arm.
- Open and close the door: Once the door is reconnected, operate the garage door opener once or twice to ensure smooth operation.
How to Reconnect an Opener Without an Automatic Trolley:
If you tried connecting the garage door automatically and it did not work, you might not have an automatic trolley on your garage door opener. In this case, you’ll have to connect the arm of your garage door to the trolley manually. You can also use this method to reconnect the garage door to the opener before the power returns.
- Shut the door: Just as you would with an automatic trolley, make sure the garage door is completely shut.
- Engage the emergency release cord: Pull on the emergency release cord toward the garage door. You should see a switch move into place, and hear a click when the switch re-engages.
- Guide the arm toward the trolley: Manually connect the arm of the garage door with the trolley of the opener. To do this, raise the door one to two feet until you hear it click into place.
- Test the opener: After you’ve reconnected the garage door, plug the opener back in and make sure it’s working correctly. Open the door using the remote, watching for jerky movement and listening for any buckling. Then, close the door again.
Get Garage Door Repair and Replacement From Kitsap Garage Door
At Kitsap Garage Door, we specialize in providing commercial and residential garage doors that look great and keep your garage safer and more functional. We also have a team of experienced repair technicians who can fix a range of garage door issues from opening and closing problems to misalignments. We have served our community and surrounding areas with the best garage doors and openers since 1975. We feature top-quality products from Clopay and Genie, which are the only companies in their industries to be awarded the Good Housekeeping seal.
If you have an automatic garage door that inconveniences you whenever there’s a power outage, we can help you install a door with a backup battery feature so it remains functional even in a blackout. When you’re looking for an expert garage door installer to install an automatic garage door opener for your home in Kitsap, Kitsap Garage Door is here for your convenience and peace of mind. Contact us with all your garage door repair needs today.
