The Methods of Manually Opening and Closing the Electric Garage Door

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What if your electric garage door suddenly stops working? Then you need to know how you can open and close the garage door manually! 

Electric garage doors make our life a little more convenient, saving our time and energy. 

But there can be some rare occasions when our electric garage door might act up. Whether it is due to a power outage or any internal issue, this kind of situation can be a hassle and make anyone shocked especially if you are inside the garage and the door stops working!

Here are the steps to follow to open your electric garage door manually from inside without causing any damage to it: 

Check the Door 

Be sure that the door is in a down position before detaching the door opener from the garage door. Attempting to detach while the door is in an open position is pretty dangerous and we advise you not to do that. 

If the spring is broken or the door is stuck partially or in an unbalanced position then trying to release the opener can make the door fall with its full weight. Which can cause severe damage to your garage door. 

So, if your door is not closed properly and is stuck then do not try anything. Contact the electric garage door repairs to fix it safely. 

Find the Emergency Release Cord

There should be a red rope hanging from your garage door trolly which is known as an emergency release cord. The release cord is generally located in the center of the door and is attached with the trolly.

Most electronic garage doors have this switch which helps to override the system. And after that, you can lift the door open with your hands without the help of electricity.

Tug the Cord 

Pull the rope down. And then towards the door. It will detach the opener. Most door release cords have handles to grip it easily. But if the length of the cord is unreachable, then use a ladder to safely grab the rope.

After disconnecting successfully you will hear a pop sound indicating that the motor is not connected to the door any longer.

Lift Your Garage Door

Now you will be able to elevate the door manually. Use both hands, grip the door from the bottom, and lift it. Keep raising the door until you are confirmed it is fully overhead.

The garage door may slide back a little until the door is open entirely. It happens as the automated lifting mechanism is no longer working. 

Closing the Door Manually

Lower the garage door slowly When you close the door. You have to lock it manually. Slide the lock bar to close the door. 

Resetting the Garage Door Opener

After opening the garage door manually it remains in the manual mood until the door opener is reengaged. Make sure to reset the door to automatic mood once the underlying issue has been fixed.

Reengaging a garage door is not that tough. But depending on the model of your door the method may vary. But here is a common and quick method that fairly works to re-engage almost all electric garage doors.

  • Check whether the door is fully above the head or not. 
  • to attach the trolly to the carriage, pull down the emergency release cord. Some may require to pull the release cord down and towards the garage door. It depends on the model of the door.
  • Make sure you hear a loud click sound after reconnecting the trolley to the opener carriage. 
  • Lastly, you either need to push the control button on the wall panel Or you can remotely operate the door.

In case the power outage causes your garage door to shut off, then the door may not start working automatically. In that situation you need some other steps to follow:

  1. Unplug the opener to reset the system
  2. Wait 30 second to let the system rest
  3. Plugin the opener into the socket 

Times When You Should Consider Contracting Professionals

There is a time when you can no longer fix the issue manually. So it is better to know under which situations you should call for the repair centers to minimize further damage

If You Are Outside The Garage

If you are inside the garage when the door stops working, you can try to open it manually from inside following our given steps. But if you are outside the garage and this is the only way to get inside then you may need to contact professionals to fix the problem. From the outside, opening the garage door is quite tricky. So call for the professionals to avoid any possible loss or damage.

If Unable to Raise the Door

The garage door openers don’t lift the door rather the springs lift the door. 

If you need to struggle when trying to lift your garage door, then either you have a broken spring or the door is drifted from its track.

Don’t push it. Contact professionals for a popper examination and find the problem. After pulling the cord if the door doesn’t open smoothly, applying force to push the door open may do more damage.

In Case of Power Outage 

Your door still may not work after resetting it. In that case, there’s a chance that the motorhead has been damaged due to the power surge. Call those who repair garage doors to examine and determine the issue.

Trouble in Resetting Garage Door

While resetting your garage door if you face any trouble, don’t hesitate to contact professionals. They will examine the door and will make sure the door is reset properly.

Although electronics make our life convenient it can also act up at any time throwing us in an unwanted situation. Apply these steps to manually open your electric garage door if it suddenly acts stubborn and stops working. But also pay close attention when you need to stop and call the professionals for help. Good luck! 

Sophie Turner
Home Accessories Tips
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