How to Open a Garage Door Without Power

Many homeowners don’t realize their garage doors are affected by power outages until they can’t use them. Luckily, you don’t have to wait until the power comes back to use your garage door.

What Happens to Garage Door Openers During Power Outages?

Garage door openers allow users to control their garage doors automatically while securing them against manual force. During a power outage, electricity no longer flows to the door opener, preventing it from controlling door movement. 

How to Manually Open and Close Your Garage Door Without Power

Your vehicle is of no use if you can’t get it out of the garage. The good news is there are various techniques for safely opening and closing your garage without power.

From the Inside

If you’re in your garage and need to get your car out, follow these steps:

1. Unlock the door: Locate any locks or latches on the garage door and open them to ensure they don’t cause damage when manually lifting the door.
2. Unplug the garage door opener: Unplug the garage door opener to prevent the assembly from sustaining damage if the motor engages when the door is off the tracks.
3. Pull the emergency release cord: The emergency release cord is a red handle that hangs from the center of the garage door track. Pull the handle straight down to disconnect the door from the trolley.
4. Lift the garage door: Now that the garage door is disengaged, you can open it manually by grabbing the bottom of the door and lifting it. Make sure the door stays in place above you before letting go.
5. Close the door: Once you’ve driven your car out of the garage, pull the door down to close it.

From the Outside

If you come home to find your garage door shut during a power outage, you can open it from the outside in a few simple motions:

1. Find the emergency release kit: Locate the small lock toward the top of your garage door, which contains an emergency release cable. 
2. Free the release cord: Use the special key to open the lock and pull out the tumbler to access the emergency release cord. Pull the cord to trigger the release mechanism.
3. Unlock the garage door: Find the lock near the garage door handle and turn it vertically to unlock it.
4. Lift the door: Push the door straight up and make sure it stays open before releasing it.
5. Close the door: Enter the garage and pull the door closed.

Upgrade Your Garage Door at Oregon City Garage Door

For dependable residential garage door installations, choose Oregon City Garage Door. With over 25 years spent providing services across the Portland area, we’re the experts you can trust. 

Request an estimate on our products today!