How To Open Garage Doors Manually

If you’re searching “How To Open Garage Doors Manually” you’re probably experiencing a power outage or your garage door opener has quit working.  Either way, when you cannot open or close your garage door by simply pressing the button on your remote, it’s a problem.  This guide will help you understand how to open your garage door manually.

Pull The Cord

The first step in manual garage door operation is to release the door from the belt or chain attached to the garage door opener.  Most garage door openers have a cord or rope which when pulled disengages the trolley from being attached to the rail.  Many times the handle or the rope itself is red and is a warning that you should be careful pulling it.  If the garage is up it is likely to slam closed, so you will want to make sure there aren’t any people, property, or objects in the path of the garage door before you pull the cord.  It is a best practice to disengage the cord when the garage door is down.  If the door is in the up position when you pull the cord, use 2×4’s to prop it up so you can slowly and safely let it down.  Once this is done you will be able to manually operate your garage door.

Reattach The Garage Door

Once the power is restored to your neighborhood or home you will be able to reattach the door to the opener.  To reconnect your garage door pull the cord towards the front of your garage so it presses into your garage door.  Pull up on your garage door until it snaps back together securely with the garage door opener trolley.  It’s also possible to use your remote to force the trolley and spring back into being connected to the door.  If you needed garage door opener repair your technician will have taken care of this step for you.

Extended Manual Mode

If the opener needs to be replaced or the power is going to be out for an extended period of time the cord needs to be pulled out of the way.  To safely stay in manual mode and avoid getting the cord stuck in the tracks.  Tie the cord off at the back of the opener or pull it out of the way towards the back of your garage.  If your garage door opener is broken and needs to be repaired or replaced contact your local garage door repair company.  Professional garage door techs will be able to tell you why your opener is not working and recommend the most cost-effective solutions.  Most of the time repair is possible and affordable but there are some repair problems where simply replacing your old garage door opener will be less expensive and offer longer durability than patching your old opener together.