There are occasional instances where you can find yourself with a garage door that you need to open manually. You may not be concerned with a power outage or a garage door engine because you need to get to work. The last thing you want to do is to hurt your door by trying to get your car out of it. In these cases, it is necessary to learn how to unlock a garage door manually.-
How To Open the Garage Door Manually
Keep calm after the power outage if your garage door doesn’t work. Each modern garage should have an emergency release kit, a device in your garage that allows you to open the door manually from inside or outside. The next time you have no power and need to drive and enter during a rain, you can take a few necessary steps to get the garage door open successfully.
How to Manually Open the Garage Door from Inside
Many house owners incorrectly assume that they cannot unlock the door if their electrically powered garage door openers do not operate during an electric blackout. That isn’t the case at all, luckily. It is reasonably quick to learn how to open the garage door from inside manually and, though pushing a button does not make it so convenient, you can get your cars inside and out of the garage. The emergency release cord must pull on the motor, and the garage door is lifted.
If you’re stuck inside your garage and the power is out, or the garage door opener doesn’t operate for whatever reason, take the steps below to unlock the door manually.
- Evaluate the garage door hardware to confirm that the springs are intact and that the garage door mechanism has not been harmed.
- Pull the red emergency cord to separate the release lever from the garage door opening cart.
- Raise the garage door before it opens all the way and stops going.
- Drive your car out and lock the door to the garage.
- Make sure you have another entry point to your house before leaving the garage.
- When you’re back inside the garage and able to re-enter the escape mechanism, lift the lever with the broom handle, or crawl up the ladder and click it by hand. You can also re-enter the mechanism by sliding the release cord upwards and towards the engine before you hear a sound.
How to Manually Open the Garage Door from Outside
If you don’t have the main door to your garage, you can have the Emergency Release Kit installed to unlock the garage door manually from the outside. If you have the kit mounted and you find yourself outside the garage after a power outage, take the steps below:
- Locate the Emergency Escape Package and put the necessary key into the locking socket.
- Switch the key and take the locking drum out of the lock to activate the escape button on the cart’s garage door opening.
3.Lift the garage door open before the door stops going.
- Drive the car inside the garage and get the garage door down.
- Re-enter the release process by pushing up the lever with the broom handle or by scrambling up the ladder and pressing up the lever by hand. You may also re-enter the mechanism by pushing the release cord upwards and through the engine or door before you hear a sound.
- Make sure you have another entry point to your house before you leave the garage.
Reset the Garage Door Opener After a Power Outage
Following the power outage or once the garage door opener has been disengaged to be opened manually, the reset process is relatively simple. Push on the release lever with a broom handle or similar item, and the garage door opener should be ready to function as expected. Some models will also require aligning the carriage with the bullet/turnbuckle on the belt or chain.
If the opener does not operate upon the power coming back on, it may be necessary to unplug the garage door opener and wait up to 30 seconds before plugging it back in. This should allow the system to reset, and you can then ensure the carriage is re-engaged. If the unit still does not function, the motorhead may have been damaged due to a significant power surge. Contact your garage door opener supplier for assistance in these instances.
Safety Precautions for Manually Opening Your Garage Door
Manually Opening the garage door is generally safe but requires certain general safety precautions.
Use the manual lock:
Next to your garage door, there should be a metal manual lock. When the power is out, the automatic lock on your garage door is inactive. Slide the manual lock into place to keep your home protected during an outage.
Unplug the automatic door opener:
Unplugging your garage door opener before you attempt to unlock or reconnect your garage door manually will keep you secure. If the power returns, the opener will try to open the door when it is removed, which will make it more difficult to reconnect.
Don’t leave the door open :
When the power goes out, and the garage door is removed from the automatic door opener, nothing is in place to prevent the door from slamming shut. Even a strong breeze could force the door to close. Keep the door clear and keep the children at a safe distance. Please make sure you lock the garage door as soon as you can.
Conclusion
If you know that your garage door doesn’t work after a power outage, you may wonder if there’s something you can do to keep it going even without electricity. It’s smart to know how to unlock the garage door manually in case of power failure. You can also prevent panic and anxiety by installing an automatic garage door opener with a backup battery feature.
