A Step-by-Step Guide to Opening Your Garage Door During a Power Outage
If your garage door is equipped with an electric door opener, then you may be in a pickle if your power goes out. The good news is that there are steps you can take to open your garage door even during power failure. If you want to avoid this issue in the future, invest in a new garage door that comes with battery backup opening capabilities. Reach out to Dynamic Garage Door at 855-343-3667 to learn more.
Step 1: Get a flashlight
First, get a flashlight and step out to the garage. You can use the flashlight on your phone but be sure that you have enough of a charge to handle the battery needs of your flashlight – especially if you may need to make an emergency call.
Step 2: Pull on the red emergency cord
Almost all electric garage door openers are going to have a red emergency cord hanging down from them. Once you have pulled down on this cord, you will have disabled the normal trolley operator that’s responsible to pull the door. Slide that back about an inch.
Step 3: Lift the handle without forcing
Now you will need to find the lifting handle that’s been installed on the bottom panel. In some cases it could be installed in the second section. If you have a garage door that’s been properly balanced, then you should be able to easily lift the handle, regardless of the size of your garage door.
However, if you find that you have to force the handle to lift, then you may have a more serious issue. This is a sign that there is a broken spring, that your garage door is unbalanced, or that it is simply not as functional as it used to be. Forcing it open could result in costly garage door repairs.
Step 4: Close the garage and reconnect the trolley
Once you have been able to get your car out of the garage, close the garage door again and reconnect the trolley the stem you see, which should be t-shaped. Listen for a click sound that will indicate that everything is correctly sealed up. You can doublecheck by trying to lift the engine trolley. If it does not work then it is well closed.
Step 5: Test the system once the power comes back on
If you have followed the above tips then your system should be up and running as soon as the power comes on. Check to ensure that is the case. If it does not work correctly, cut the power and re-do the steps above to correctly close the door.
If you are ready to upgrade to a garage door that can open via battery backup, contact Dynamic Garage Door at 855-343-3667 to find out what your options are.
