How to Manually Open Garage Door With No Power

Whether you lost your garage door remote or you have no power, knowing how to manually open your garage door is essential for homeowners. All automatic garage doors have a bypass that disconnects the garage door from the powered carriage and allows you to open the garage door manually.

Here are the steps to open a garage door manually:

1. If the garage door is open when power is lost, ensure there is nothing in the way of the garage door path. Garage doors can come crashing down when the release cord is pulled, so if at all possible, use the release cord when the garage door is closed.
2. If you have to use the release cord, make sure you are ready to either prop the garage door open with a 2x4 or let the door down slowly.
3. Make sure no one and nothing of value or importance is in the door's path when releasing the garage door in the open or up position.
4. Locate the release cord — this cord is usually red or at least has a red handle at the end — pull hard on the release cord knob (pulling toward the back of the garage). This should release the door from the automatic opener.
5. If the garage door is closed, grab the garage door and lift it. Because the release cord disengages your garage door from the automatic chain, it will fall if you let it go. The garage door should stay open when you have pushed it up all the way, but depending on your garage door you might need someone to hold the door while you go in and out of the garage, or use a 2x4 to keep the garage door open. Be sure to slowly lower the garage door to the ground.
6. After the power is back on or you have found your garage door remote, with your garage door down or shut, pull down on the release cord (this time towards the garage door). Then either bring the garage door up manually until it engages with the trolley system, or use your garage door opener — this will engage the garage door back to automatic mode.

Knowing how to open your garage door manually is good to know. We hope this helps you the next time you lose power or your remote. For all of your garage door needs, Modern Overhead Door is your garage door maintenance company in Ripon, Fond Du Lac, Waupun, Lomira, Oshkosh, Omro, Weyauwega, Fremont, Appleton, Greenville, Green Bay, De Pere, Green Lake, Princeton, Westfield, Montello, Kingston, Marquette, Wisconsin.