Steps to Opening Your Garage Door Manually

Power outages are unpredictable and can happen when we don’t expect it. It is even more worrying when the power goes out when you need to open your garage door. Many people will panic and wonder how to handle the situation. Follow the steps below to avoid damaging your door as you try getting your car out of the garage. If your garage door is damaged, contact a professional who specializes in garage installation in Bakersfield for help.

Step 1: Confirm the Door Position
Before trying anything, ensure that the garage door is fully closed an in the down position. This is important to prevent the garage door’s sudden slamming to the ground as soon as the opener is disengaged. If the door is stuck in the open position, do not release the opener until you contact specialists for help/advise.

Step 2: Disengage the Emergency Release Cord
Disconnect the automatic door opener from the power cord. Locate and release the emergency release cord (usually a red rope hanging from the garage door trolley). Again, confirm that the door is closed before releasing the cord. This should disengage the trolley from the carriage to allow the door to be operated manually.

Step 3: Pull the Garage Door Manually
At this point, the garage door should be able to move up and down. Manually lift the door until it is open and remember not to let go until you are sure that the door is fully opened and in place. This should not be difficult if the springs and pulleys are well functioning. However, if the weight of the door overwhelms you, the chances are that the spring is broken and needs an immediate replacement.

Step 4: Drive Out and Close the Door
Drive your car out of the garage and manually pull the door all the way down to close it. It is important to avoid slamming the door or allowing it to fall rapidly as this can damage the door or the track. Most garage doors have a manual lock that can be engaged whenever the automatic mechanism is inactive. Slide the lock bar to lock the door.