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If you’re here, you’re probably in a pinch to get your garage door open. I know the feeling! Especially when I’m in a hurry to get my kid to school or head to work – this can be a really frustrating experience. Luckily, manually opening a garage door is generally fairly easy and quick. Whether your power is out or something is malfunctioning – keep reading to find out how to open a garage door manually – and then, close it. Plus, at the end, I’ll also show you how to re-engage it when your power comes back on.
Watch this 2-minute video to see how to manually open a garage door👇
How to Open a Garage Door Manually – 4 Steps
Step 1: Check the torsion springs
First, check the two springs (seen below) that are called torsion springs. These springs coil up when your door closes and they store potential energy. So when you lift the door up, the torsion springs are doing most of the work. If the springs are intact – go to the next step.
But what if there’s a break in one or both of the springs? Unfortunately, your garage door is going to be a beast to lift up. To be honest, we don’t recommend manually lifting it. You could potentially injure yourself – as garage doors range from 100-350+ pounds. With that in mind – if you really need to open your garage door – I’d get help and not attempt to lift it on your own.
Step 2: Disengage the pin
Pull down and disengage the pin to the carriage by pulling the garage door release cord (seen above in red). Now, your door can be manually opened!
Step 3: Manually open the garage door
Once things are disengaged – grab the handle either in the middle or on the side. You should be able to easily lift the door open and take the car out.
Step 4: Manually lower the garage door (carefully)
Then, come back and manually lower the garage door. Take your time! You don’t want to the door to slam against the ground.
Safety tip: I would also use the safety lock and make sure it goes through the track.
How to re-engage your garage door opener
When the power is back on – use your remote (or the wall controller) and start to open the door. The trolley will start to retract – come back to the release cord and re-engage it.
Then, go back to your controller or the wall button and press it. You’ll see the trolley grab ahold of the carriage – and you’ll probably hear a clicking sound. That’s it – you’re back in business!
The Wrap Up + Troubleshooting Tips
I hope this quick tutorial helped you out! While you’re probably not going to want to manually open and close your garage door all the time – it’s a good thing to know in case something malfunctions. Just be mindful when you’re opening and lowering it – and don’t push yourself.
Also- do not pull the cord if your door is stuck in the open position. This will cause the garage door to crash down – which can damage your door – not good!
