To open a garage door manually, pull down the red emergency release handle or cord, which disconnects the door from the opener, then lift the door by hand. Do it with the door closed if possible. If the door is very heavy or will not stay up, a spring may be broken, so stop and call a technician.
The short version
Every automatic opener has a red cord or handle, usually hanging from the trolley on the rail near the middle of the garage. Pulling it releases the door from the opener, so the door moves by hand. Chamberlain says to use it only when the door is fully closed, if possible, and never to pull it to raise or lower the door.
A door in good balance is not hard to lift once it is disconnected. A door that is hard to lift is telling you something, and the section on springs below explains what.
Before you pull the handle
- Clear people, pets and objects from the doorway.
- Look at the door. If a spring, cable or roller looks damaged, or the door is crooked, do not try to move it.
- If the door has a manual lock, unlock it first.
- If you can, make sure the door is fully closed.
How to open it, step by step
Unlock the door
If a manual lock is engaged, disengage it before anything else.
Find the red release
Look for the red cord on the trolley, or on a wall-mounted opener the red release handle.
Pull it
On a rail opener, pull the cord straight down. On a wall-mounted unit, pull the handle down firmly until it clicks. The door is now disconnected.
Lift from the handle
Take hold of the handle or the bottom edge and lift slowly with both hands, keeping your feet clear of the bottom edge.
Keep it open safely
Stay out from under the door while it is up. If it starts to drop, stop and lower it carefully.
Reconnect when power returns
On a rail opener, pull the cord back toward the opener or straight down as your model shows, then run the opener through a full open and close. The door reconnects on the next cycle.
Some doors have a small keyed release on the outside near the top panel. Turning the key disengages the opener so you can lift the door. Without one, you cannot release the door from outside during an outage. A battery backup keeps a newer opener running through a blackout; see the California battery backup rule.
When the door is heavy: a broken spring
Chamberlain warns that if the springs are weak or broken, the door may fall rapidly and without warning. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says a properly working door stays where it is stopped in any partly open position, and that a door that is not balanced, or that binds or sticks, should be serviced by a professional.
A door that is very heavy, drops when you let go, or slams shut after a loud bang has a spring or cable problem. Do not prop it with your body and do not adjust the springs yourself. Leave it closed and call a technician. See opening a garage door with a broken spring.
What to avoid
- Do not pull the release to raise or lower a moving door.
- Do not release an open door if a spring looks broken or the door hangs crooked.
- Do not force a door that is stuck, binding or off its track.
- Do not leave the door disconnected overnight if you can avoid it, because it can be lifted by hand.
After the power comes back
Reconnect the opener and run a full cycle. Then test that the door reverses when it meets a 2x4 laid flat on the floor, as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission advises, and check that the photo eyes still work. See garage door safety tests. If the opener will not respond, see why a garage door will not open after a power outage.
Where we come in
Emil Garage Doors repairs openers, springs and garage doors in Southern California, for example in Cathedral City, Bell and Eureka. If the door is heavy or stuck, call (213) 340-4232 or use the estimate form and see spring repair.
Questions people ask
Where is the manual release on a garage door?
It is a red cord or handle, usually on the trolley near the middle of the garage. Pulling it disconnects the door from the opener so you can lift it by hand.
Can I open a garage door manually from outside?
Only if the door has an exterior keyed release, usually near the top panel. Turning the key disengages the opener so the door can be lifted by hand.
Is it safe to lift a garage door by hand?
Only if the door is balanced and the springs and cables are intact. If the door is very heavy or will not stay up, stop and call a technician.
How do I reconnect the opener after a manual open?
Pull the cord or handle as your model shows and run the opener through a full open and close. The door reconnects on the next cycle.