How To Open Your Garage Door Manually

Garage doors are convenient for every homeowner.

By simply pressing the remote, you can easily open the door with ease.

However, there are times that your garage door won’t open.

It could mean that the remote is damaged or there’s a power outage.

For whatever reason, you need to open the garage door right away.

The good news is, there’s a way to open the garage door manually. But, how do you do it?

The process is relatively simple. Read this guide on how to open the garage door manually in two ways.

Safety Reminders

Opening the garage door manually is a simple process.

But first, you need to be careful before following the method if you don’t want accidents to happen.

Turn off the opener – It is recommended to turn off the opener before anything else. Disconnect the opener from the power outlet to prevent electric hazards.

Close the garage door – Another thing you need to check is if your overhead door is fully closed. There should be no openings to prevent injuries when you switch to manual mode.

Lubricate the parts – Parts such as chains, springs, cables, and rollers need to be lubricated to make the door easy to move. To lubricate the parts, watch this video.

Inspect the mechanism – Ensure that there are no broken parts if you don’t want to risk yourself to injury.

If you see any damage to the garage door parts, it is best to call a garage door repair company near you to solve the problem.

First Method: Opening the Garage Door from the Inside

Every automatic overhead door has an emergency kit to make sure you can open and close the door manually. In this case, follow the procedure on how to open the garage door manually from the inside:

  1. Locate the red cord dangling at the center part of the garage door’s ceiling. It’s called an emergency release cord, which is used during a power outage or when you can’t access your opener.
  2. Pull the emergency release cord towards the garage door. By pulling the cord, you disengage the trolley from the carriage system of the overhead door. This way, you can open the door without the help of an electric device such as an opener.
  3. Park your car inside.
  4. Manually close the door. You should see the emergency release cord as it moves away from the door.

Second Method: Opening the Garage Door from the Outside

While opening the garage door from the inside is easy, this method is simple as well.

However, you need to have an Emergency Door Kit.

Almost all garage doors have an emergency door kit that you can use during a power outbreak or any electrical problems.

The emergency door kit is placed in the garage door, where you can access it from the outside.

If you’re the unlucky one who doesn’t have an emergency kit door, buy one to save you from trouble.

It can save you in emergencies like power outages when you want to open the door.

Meanwhile, this is how to open the garage door manually from the outside:

  1. Locate the emergency door kit. It should be somewhere on your door. To successfully find it, insert the key into a keyhole and turn it until it’s open.
  2. Once the keyhole is open, you should see a cord from the keyhole.
  3. Pull the cord. By doing this, you will disengage the lever to open the door manually. Pull it until the door is open.
  4. Park your car inside.
  5. You can close the door manually.

If you don’t have an emergency release kit, ignore this method.

In an emergency where you are outside the garage during a power outage, call an emergency garage door service in Pittsburgh.

They cater to emergency requests at any time of the day.

Call us if You Need Help!

If you’re hesitant in doing the methods above, or if the emergency release cord doesn’t work, don’t hesitate to call Garage Door Pitt.

We will make sure to open your garage door if the methods above don’t work for you.

We offer 24 7 garage door repairs in Pittsburgh, garage door installation, maintenance, replacement, and tune-ups.

Whatever problems you have, we’ll fix them right away.

Call us since we cater to customers around the clock!

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Michael Williams

Michael Williams

Over a decade in the garage door business has taught me that the most professional way to go is transparency with my clients. Why charge clients when they can clearly solve some of their garage trouble DIY? In this blog I will share as much as I can. If you still need help, don't hesitate to call!