Severe weather, nearby vehicle accidents and fallen trees are just a few occurrences that can cause sudden power outages. Unexpected events like these leave you struggling to open your garage door to get to the place you need to be on time. Often, we do not realize how much of an impact electricity has on our ability to operate and complete our lives’ simplest tasks, such as opening our garage door to access our cars to travel.
To prevent stressful situations, it is best to be prepared with a few tips on how to manually operate your garage door and how to reset it after the power has gone out.
How Manual Mode on a Garage Door Works
When you are stuck in a position of no power and are so used to being able to simply click a button, you might ask yourself — can I even open my garage door when the power is out? The answer is yes!
When there is no electricity to operate the garage door system, the power outage does affect your garage door opener. This is why being able to manually open your garage door is important. Manual release involves pulling the hanging release cord away from the door.
Once you pull the cord, the trolley of the door’s opener disconnects from the carriage. With no power to operate the garage door automatically, manual operation allows you access in and out of the garage. Be sure to use caution with manual operation to avoid damaging your door or your belongings. If you notice any resistance when trying to manually open your garage door, stop and contact a professional for a garage door inspection, as a component like the springs may be damaged.
Release Cord Tips and Reminders
A great note to remember is that most door openers will have a backup garage door manual release option that can be used during a power outage.
The release cord will be hanging from the trolley located on the metal belt that is attaching the garage door operator box and the door itself. The release cord is usually red and has a handle toward the end of it to help you get a better grip and pull it to open the garage door. It is important to keep safety in mind when opening a garage door manually because of power outages.
There are some safety measures to keep in mind, including:
- Clear the area: Make sure the garage is clear of any other individuals that could get hurt. If you need assistance resetting or manually opening your garage door, seek it from a trustworthy adult. You should also move any tools or valuable items away from the door.
- Pull the rope cautiously: Make sure to not overwork the rope by pulling, yanking or hanging on it, as it could damage the rope and the system’s abilities.
- Seek professional emergency help: If you feel at all unsure about manually operating your garage door, it’s best not to do it yourself, especially if the door is in the open position. Broken or loose pieces that need to be repaired could cause the door to close with a strong force when it falls, damaging or hurting anything in the way. If your garage door is open and you need to shut it during a power outage, please contact professionals immediately who offer 24/7 emergency service for situations such as these.
Opening and Closing Garage Doors With Manual Mode
When the power is out, the motor of the garage door operator can no longer do all of the physical labor of opening and closing.
When opening your garage door during a power outage, pull the red emergency release cord that is hanging from the trolley. When pulling in a motion away from the door, the trolley gets disconnected, allowing manual operation.
If you are in the opposite position and need to know exactly how you close a garage door with no power, your safest bet is to contact professionals for emergency service. Use your senses to listen for any sounds of creaks or screeches and look out for parts that may appear broken. If there is noticeable damage, it is best to leave the garage door in the safest position possible and call an emergency service provider to ensure the delicate system is handled correctly.
How to Reset a Garage Door After a Power Outage
Now that your garage door is manually operable, how do you reset a garage door? To reset a garage door, start with the door being in a closed position. You can simply pull that release cord toward the door to link together the components that are used for it to operate with power. Carefully run the garage door opener for a cycle, opening the door fully and closing it fully while listening for any strange or loud sounds.
Once you hear a click, you know the door is locked in place and back on the track it needs to operate automatically. The remote or button on the wall you normally used before the power outage should now be functioning within a click of the button.
After this, you may wonder, “After I disconnect my garage door once, how do I reconnect it, and can I disconnect it again?” After disconnecting the system to operate manually, you can reconnect it when power is restored. If another power outage were to occur, you could follow the same procedures as before to be able to open it to exit the garage and close it for safety.
Contact Marvin’s Garage Doors for General or Emergency Garage Door Service and Repairs
For over the past 50 years, Marvin’s Garage Doors has been serving commercial and residential customers in northwestern North Carolina. We understand that garage doors break down at inconvenient times of the day. Power outages especially can cause many individuals to feel stressed or anxious when they have no clear way to open or close their garage door to get access to their car or keep their belongings safe.
Reach out to us and request a service near you. We also have 24/7, 365-days-a-year emergency repair services available to help you feel at ease and return to your normal activities safely.
If you have any questions or would like to speak to a qualified specialist for more information, please fill out this form or call one of our locations.