How to Manually Open a Garage Door During a Power Outage

Power outages are common during Southern California windstorms and heatwaves. If your garage opener lacks a battery backup, you will need to operate the door manually. While this is a simple process, doing it incorrectly can cause severe injury if the door springs are imbalanced.

Step-by-Step Manual Release Procedure

Follow these steps to operate your door manually:

1. Make Sure the Door is Closed: **CRITICAL:** Only pull the red release cord when the door is fully closed. If you pull it while the door is open, and the springs are broken, the heavy door will crash down instantly.
2. Pull the Red Release Cord: Pull the cord straight down to disengage the opener trolley from the carriage rail.
3. Lifting the Door: Lift the door straight up by hand. If it is balanced, it should lift easily and stay open on its own.
4. Re-engaging the Opener: When power returns, pull the red cord forward toward the door and run the opener. The carriage will slide and click back into the trolley.