How to Open a Garage Door Manually
Like most things, technology has advanced the way garage doors operate. Instead of the traditional manual mechanism that requires labor, automated garage doors only need a remote control or an app to operate. Many homeowners and businesses now enjoy the convenience of opening and closing their garage doors remotely.
However, automatic or electric garage door systems can fail for various reasons like power outages, dead backup batteries or damage to the electric mechanism. When that happens, you’ll find yourself stuck with a door that requires manual operation. Learn how to open an automatic garage door manually using the following process.
When Is It Safe to Open a Garage Door Manually?
Traditional and electric-powered garage doors require precaution whenever you open and close them because they are heavy objects. When opening and closing an automatic garage door manually, observe the same precautions you would with a traditional door, such as minding the weight and standing away from the door’s path in case it comes crashing down.
Before attempting to open automatic doors manually, consider additional risks, such as electrocution. First, try to pinpoint the cause of the malfunction. If the reason for your door getting stuck is power-related, handling it manually is safer than when the cause is system damage. Make sure to disconnect your garage door from its power source and watch for signs of system damage, like uneven weight distribution.
When researching how to manually open a broken garage door, consider the severity of these forms of damage that make it hazardous to operate the door by hand:
- Damaged springs: Springs carry the weight of garage doors, allowing easy up and down movement. With broken springs, handling a garage door is risky as you’re exposed to the natural weight of the door. Learn to identify issues with garage springs.
- Damaged rollers: When rollers are in good condition, your garage door will move smoothly along its track. Damaged rollers cause the door to drag and become heavy.
- Damaged cables: Along with springs, wire cables make garage doors easy to operate. If these cables snap, the door will be unusually heavy. While you can open a door with snapped cables, doing so is not recommended due to the potential risks.
- Damaged tracks: Metal tracks help your garage doors slide with ease. Frequent use can cause misalignment, making the door challenging to open and close by hand.
How to Open a Garage Door Manually
According to a global outlook and forecast report for 2023-2028, the global market for automatic garage doors will hit $3.49 billion by 2028. While that makes the automated feature lucrative, it doesn’t make it perfect. In case of failure, you may need to resort to manual operation.
Opening Garage Doors From the Inside
This step-by-step process outlines how to manually open a garage door from the inside:
- Disengage deadbolts: If your garage door has manual deadbolts and locks, confirm that they are not engaged, as these will stop the door from functioning. After verifying that these manual locks are not the issue, proceed to open the door by hand.
- Unplug the door opener: Unplug your garage door opener from its power outlet. For safety reasons, disconnect the door from the power source even if there’s a power outage.
- Disengage the release cord: Modern garage doors come with an emergency release cord or pull rope, which allows you to disengage the automatic feature and operate the door manually. The red colored handle or cord should be at the top of the door. Pull it to disengage the garage door opener.
- Open and close the door: To open the garage door manually, lift it all the way and hold it at the top until you’re sure it has stabilized. Lower the garage door once again from the outside and manually engage any locking mechanism.
Opening Garage Doors From the Outside
Opening the garage door from the outside is slightly different. Follow these steps:
- Unlock the emergency release kit: Modern garage doors have an emergency release kit installed at the top of the door on the outside. This vital mechanism gives you access to the release cord from the outside. As a security feature, the emergency release kit is locked. Insert the key to unlock and access the small cord that triggers manual operation. Once you pull the cord, your garage door will disengage from the automatic system.
- Open and close the door: Push the door all the way and let it stabilize. Once inside, lower it and lock it manually or re-engage the automatic system.
The emergency release kit eases the process of opening your garage door from the outside. If your garage door doesn’t come with this in-built feature, install it before the need arises. However, if you’re stuck outside with a garage door that lacks the emergency release kit, here are ways to handle the issue:
- Reach for the emergency cord: Try reaching for the emergency cord inside the door. You can use a wire with a hooked end to catch and pull the cord and disengage the automatic system. It’s not advisable to make your garage door accessible through such methods.
- Contact garage experts: If you already take precautions to prevent unauthorized access from the outside, you may want to seek assistance from garage professionals to access your garage. Consulting garage technicians is a safer solution that preserves your investment.
How to Reattach Your Garage Door Opener
Modern units can automatically reconnect to the electric door opener when you press the button to open your garage. Alternatively, you can re-engage your garage door with the automatic system by pulling at the emergency release cord. Pulling the cord towards the door is designed to trigger the spring lever to reconnect with the door opener.
Listen for a clicking sound that means your garage door is locked in place. Testing your garage door will tell you whether you’ve reattached it to the electric system if you’re dealing with power issues and not system damage.
Garage Door Solutions With Quality Overhead Door
Automatic garage doors require a solution for handling them in emergencies. While modern doors are designed with in-built features that allow you to switch from electric to manual with ease, these systems can fail. If you’re using a garage door opener on an old door, you may also encounter issues that require professional assistance.
Quality Overhead Door is an award-winning company with more than 40 years of experience in handling garage door installations, repair and maintenance. Our technicians work with different garage door brands, understand the issues that come with each and provide lasting solutions. if you’re looking for repair services in Ohio and Michigan, contact us for an estimate in these service areas!
Signs You Need a New Garage Door Opener
Your garage door is one of the most frequently used moving equipment pieces in your entire home. You probably open and close it several times a day, which means you do so possibly hundreds of times every month. What many people fail to remember is that the garage door opener is just as important as the door itself. If your door won’t open, you probably won’t be going anywhere.
Genie Opener Recall
Genie has recalled some of their garage door openers. Please learn more by clicking link below.
Click here for full recall info.
To learn more about a LiftMaster garage door opener, give us a call.
We service all makes and models.