How to Open a Garage Door Without Power

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: September 15, 2021 References

Automatic garage door openers are really convenient, but if the power goes out, you might be worried that your garage door will be stuck closed. Luckily, there's an override that makes it easy to manually open and close your door until the power comes back on.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Opening the Door Manually

1
Unplug the automatic garage door opener. At the base of the trolley track on the ceiling of your garage is the automatic garage door opener. Unplug the cord from the machine so you can disengage the door from the automatic track.^{[1]
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- In the event that the power comes back on, you don’t want the automatic opener to try to open the door while it’s disengaged or it could make it difficult for you to reconnect the door to the track.
2
Pull the emergency cord to disconnect the door from the opener. Find the red handle hanging from a string on the trolley track above the door. Pull the handle straight down until you hear a “click.”^{[2]
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- Don’t yank or snap the cord or it could break off.
Tip: If you’re having trouble pulling the cord, the door may not be shut completely. Put your weight on the door to make sure it’s fully closed, then try to pull the handle.

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3
Grab the bottom of the door and lift it straight up. With the automatic opener disengaged, you can manually open the door. Get a good grip on the door and lift it straight up so it follows along the trolley track. Keep lifting the door until it’s open all the way.^{[3]
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- If the door’s springs are in good condition, the door will open easily and stay in place. If the door is difficult to open, have a technician service the door.
4
Avoid leaving the door open and unattended. Once you have the door open, don’t leave it in place for too long. Even if your door is new or well-maintained, there are no mechanisms to prevent it from slamming shut. To prevent the risk of injury, only keep the door open when you need to.^{[4]
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- A stiff gust of wind could cause the door to shut on its own.
- Don’t allow children to play near the door when it’s open.
5
Slide the door all the way to the floor to close it. When you are ready to close the garage door, gently lower it down until it firmly connects with the ground. The weight of the door should keep it shut.^{[5]
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- Don’t slam or allow the door to fall on its own or it could damage the track or the door itself.
6
Lock the door by engaging the manual lock. Because the automatic opener doesn’t have any power, the locking mechanism isn’t active. Most garage doors also have a metal lock located on the door that you can engage to make sure the door can’t be opened. Slide the metal bolt to the side to lock it into the rail of the track.
- If you don’t have a manual lock, you can take a C-clamp and clamp it shut tight on the roller and the door to keep it from opening.^{[6]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Reconnecting the Opener

1
Close the door all the way. When you’re ready to reconnect the automatic door opener, manually lower the door until it’s fully closed. There shouldn’t be any space between the ground and the bottom of the door.^{[7]
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- Do not slam or allow the door to close on its own or it could damage the track.
2
Pull down on the emergency cord towards the door opener. You will see the switch at the end of the red emergency cord move into place. You should also hear a “click” sound when the switch re-engages.^{[8]
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- You can also reach up and pull the small lever to re-engage the automatic opener.
3
Raise the door until it snaps back into place. After you’ve re-engaged the automatic door opener, you need to reconnect the door with the trolley track. To do this, raise the door about 1–2 feet (0.30–0.61 m) until it clicks into place on the track.^{[9]
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Tip: If your power has been restored, you can press the remote control button or use the door control panel on the wall to reconnect the door with the track.
4
Open and close the door completely to test it. Once you’ve reconnected the door with the trolley track, allow the door to open all the way. Listen for any buckling or any sounds that could indicate that there is a problem with the connection. Then, close the door all the way to make sure it’s functioning.
- If the door isn’t working or is shaky on the track, stop trying to open it and call a technician to come and take a look at it.^{[10]
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Warnings

Do not leave a garage door open if it is not engaged with the automatic opener or it could close on its own and possibly injure somebody.

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