How to open your garage door manually (power out or opener broken)
The power's out, the opener's dead, and your car is on the wrong side of the door. Every automatic garage door has a way to run it by hand: the emergency release, usually a red cord with a handle hanging from the opener rail. Here's how to use it safely.
These steps follow Chamberlain (LiftMaster) instructions (Chamberlain support). Other brands work similarly, but check your opener's manual.
Before you pull the cord: two safety rules
- Close the door first if you can. Chamberlain says to "ONLY use the emergency release when the garage door is fully CLOSED, if possible." If you release a door that's open and the springs are weak or broken, it can come crashing down.
- Know the signs of a broken spring. Chamberlain warns: "If the springs are weak or broken, the door may fall rapidly and without warning." If the door feels unusually heavy, won't stay open, or slams shut, stop. Don't try to force it open. See broken springs.
Also: never use the red cord as a handle to pull the door up or down. Use the door's handle or the bottom section.
Steps to open it by hand
- Make sure the door is fully closed, and nothing and no one is under it.
- Unlock the door if it has a manual slide lock or a T-handle lock.
- Pull the red emergency release cord straight down. You'll often feel or hear a click as the door disconnects from the opener's trolley.
- Lift the door by its handle or bottom edge, using your legs. A healthy door with good springs should feel fairly light and stay put when you let go partway up.
- Hold it or prop it open safely if it won't stay up by itself. That's a sign the springs need service.
If lifting the door is very hard, or it's noisy, crooked or jerky, stop and call a technician. Don't use a car or a jack to force a door up.
Steps to reconnect the opener
When the power's back or the opener is fixed:
- Most rail openers: pull the emergency release cord toward the opener, then run the opener through a full open-and-close cycle. The trolley should catch and reconnect. If it doesn't, run one more cycle.
- Wall-mounted (jackshaft) openers: pull the release handle straight down firmly until it clicks, then run the opener. The door reconnects on the next cycle.
After reconnecting, test the safety reverse. The CPSC says to place a 2x4 on the floor in the door's path. The door should reverse when it strikes it (CPSC guidance). See our garage door safety checklist.
Power outages: think ahead
- Battery backup. Some openers have a built-in battery backup that runs the door during an outage. Ask about it if you're replacing an opener.
- Know where your cord is before you need it, and make sure everyone in the house who drives knows how to use it.
- If you lock the door by hand during a long outage, remember to unlock it before using the opener again, so you don't strain the motor.
Car still stuck? We can help
If the door won't lift, a spring is broken, or the opener won't come back after the power returns, tell us where you are. We'll connect you with a garage door company in the Fredericksburg, Stafford or Spotsylvania area. Many treat a trapped car as same-day, so mention it when you call.