How to Open Your Garage Door After a Power Outage

Summer and warmer, humid weather can mean more chances of power outages due to severe weather. If you are not home when your power goes out, when you get home, you will realize you cannot access your garage door opener. Our team at Affordable Garage Door breaks down some tips on what to do.

1. Be Safe: In order to try to work your door safely, it should be closed and in the down position. You do not want to mess with it if it is open as that could turn into a dangerous situation for you or your property. Your garage door is very heavy, and it’s not safe to disengage the garage door opener with your door open. 
2. Emergency Cord: When your door is in the safest position, you can now pull the emergency red cord that should be located near the front of your garage door when it is shut. This cord hangs from your garage door trolley, which helps your door maneuver open and closed. At the attachment point, the trolly is also connected to the garage door opener carriage, which is the component that moves the door automatically. By pulling the cord, you are disconnecting the trolly and the carriage to move it manually.
3. In Your Own Hands: Now that the door opener has been disengaged, you can manually open your door to access your garage. It should still be able to be moved along the rails smoothly and without a lot of weight. Your garage door’s springs are what actually lifts the door, so if you find that it is too heavy, then you have a problem with your springs and they may be broken or damaged. Your garage door opener’s job is to open and close your door for you, not be the heavy lifter.
4. Back in Business: Once your power has been restored and you can get your garage door opener moving again, you will need to re-engage the carriage by pulling the red release cord toward the door. This action will allow the spring lever to compress and the mechanisms will be back in place. You will be able to reconnect the trolley to the opener by simply activating the opener for a full cycle. You will need to allow the garage door to open up all of the way and then close all of the way. A loud click is the indicator that the trolley and carriage are back connected.

Our Team Knows Garage Doors

If you have any concerns about the functionality of your garage door or need to boost your curb appeal with a new door, then contact our team for assistance. We can install a new and more advanced garage door opener as well that can be accessed through WiFi or is more energy efficient. Contact our team through our online contact form.