How to Open a Garage Door When The Power is Off

So the power has gone out and you need to open your garage door to get your car out of the garage? Oh no!

Well don’t worry, fortunately, the solution is very simple. Whenever there’s a power outage, opening your garage door manually is quick and easy. In this article, we’ll take you through the process so you can open your garage door in no time at all.

It is always a good idea to familiarize yourself with what is required for your model of garage door opener before any events like this all instructions should be in your manual that you would have received when you had the opener installed.

Step One: Head to the garage

You may need to grab a torch if it’s nighttime and the power is out. Then head into the garage and locate your garage door opener. Depending on what sort of door you have will depend on where the opener is.

Roller Door: Opener on side of the door and will have red string or handle hanging from the opener.

Sectional or Tilt Door: Opener is in the middle of the ceiling and should have a red string hanging from the Chain/belt assembly.

Counter-weight door: The opener is on the side of the door and will have a Pin or clip or bolt that you can remove where the pusher arm is connected to the door.

On most openers, it has a red string attached to it. Sometimes the red string is not there and you will need to look for a lever instead.

Step Two: Disengage your garage door opener’s power

The next thing to do is to disengage the manual release to your garage door opener. Again this is easy, all you need to do is pull the emergency cord which is usually red. As you pull the cord what you’re doing is disabling the trolley operator (tilt/sectional doors) or releasing the gear mechanism (roller doors). This will allow you to open the garage door manually(by hand).

Step Three: Open garage door

Now that the power is disengaged, you should be able to simply open the garage door by lifting the door by hand. It shouldn’t feel heavy or resist your pull. If it’s still not opening, either you haven’t disengaged the trolley operator correctly or there is a more serious issue. If it’s the latter, then it’s time to call a professional company like Eastern Garage Doors there may be other issues with your garage door opener.

Step Four: Reconnect the garage door

Once you’ve got your car out of the garage safely you can re-engage the garage door for security purposes if necessary. Once the power is back on and functioning normally, all you need to do is reconnect the trolley to the garage door opener carriage (tilt door) Roller door openers can either be re-engaged by pulling the chord down again firmly (later models) or earlier models you need to pull the lever back up or make sure your garage door is fully closed before you do this. Test open the garage door with your remote to make sure it is operating correctly.

Still, having trouble? It’s time to call Eastern Garage Doors

If you suspect that your garage door opener may be faulty or if you’re still experiencing issues after a power outage then it’s time to call in the team at Eastern Garage Doors.

The garage door opener is the most important device in your garage, it’s what allows you to open your garage door. That being said, there’s a lot that can go wrong with these systems.

To avoid unnecessary costly repairs, we recommend getting your garage door opener serviced regularly. This helps to minimise issues and keeps your garage door operating smoothly. If you are unsure how to use the manual release ask the technician to show you and even video them showing you so you can have a quick reference in the future

Eastern Garage Doors has been in the garage door industry for well over 25 years. If you’re in the market for a new garage door, door opener, remotes or other garage accessories please don’t hesitate to give us a call. We can also come to you and assist with any garage door opener repairs. Send us an email or give us a call on 03 9812 3062.