How To Open a Garage Door Manually

On the rare occasion when your automatic garage door opener decides to bail on you or when the power’s out on your entire street, you will have an issue opening your garage door if you don’t know how to operate it manually. In this post, we will cover what you need to know about opening a garage door manually, so you never have to worry about accessing your garage again!

Can’t Open the Garage? Start Here.

Pick up truck standing outside a garage

First, check to make sure that the garage door opener is plugged in and working. Next, check the batteries in the remote. If they are low, replace them. If the garage door still won’t open, you will need to open it manually. 

Why Would I Have To Open Garage Doors Manually If I’ve Got An Opener? 

There are a few reasons why you might need to open your garage door manually. If there’s a power outage or if the garage door opener is not working, you will need to open the door manually to get your car out. Additionally, if there is an obstruction preventing the garage door from opening, you will also need to open it manually. In most cases, opening a garage door manually is a relatively simple process.

Steps To Manually Open Your Garage Door

Black car inside garage

To open a garage door manually, follow these four simple steps and start using your garage again! 

Step 1: Down Position Door

To safely open your garage door manually, first, you must ensure your door is in the down position so that during the entire process, the door does not accidentally fall. Keeping the garage door in the down position will also ensure nothing is blocking the garage door track. 

Step 2: The Emergency Release 

First, locate the cord hanging from the garage door opener. If the door is closed, the red cord should be located near the front of the door. Now pull the emergency release cord to disconnect the trolley from the carriage so that the door operates manually.

Step 3: Manually Move The Garage Door Open 

Now that you’ve disconnected the trolley from the carriage, you can manually lift the door to open or close it. During this step in the process, it becomes essential to inspect the springs. If you find the weight of the door to be extremely heavy, then you probably have a broken spring. The spring is the part of the automatic opener that carries the weight of the door and lifts it open. If you’ve got a broken spring, be sure to call a professional for help.

Step 4: Reconnect It

With the trolley disconnected from the carriage, you can lift the garage door straight open or close it as you please. To reconnect the trolley and carriage, pull the emergency cord again. 

Manual Mode? No Problem!

As you can see, by following a few simple steps, you can manually disconnect garage door openers for easy manual opening. So, that’s one less thing to worry about in the garage! For other home improvement tips, For other home improvement tips, check out our posts about the benefits of having a garage window, and how to program a garage door opener.

Garage doors are a valuable part of any home. They provide security and peace of mind, knowing that your belongings are safe and sound. But like anything else in your home, they require maintenance and occasional repairs. garage door openers are no exception. Over time, the elements can take their toll, causing the opener to malfunction. But with a little basic troubleshooting, you can often get it back up and running again in no time. Thanks for reading and we hope this helps!