With the door fully closed, pull the red release cord straight down until it clicks, then lift the door by its handle. A balanced door should stay up on its own. If the door is partly open, feels very heavy, is locked or is frozen in place, do not force it. Stop and call a technician.
1Why the door will not open when the power is out
A standard opener needs household power to move the door, so the wall button and remotes do nothing during an outage. The door itself is not broken. It is still held up by the springs, and the opener is only the part that pushes and pulls.
Every opener has a way to disconnect from the door so you can lift it by hand. That is the red cord that hangs from the trolley on the rail. Some newer openers also have a built-in battery that keeps the motor running for a while, so ask yourself whether yours has one before you start. If it does, the door may still work from the wall button.
2Open the door by hand, step by step
Check that the door is fully down
The release cord should be pulled only when the door rests flat on the floor. If the door is partway up, do not pull the cord. A door that is released in the air can drop fast, especially if a spring is weak or broken. Call a technician instead.
Make sure nothing is in the way
Move cars, bikes and people clear of the door. If the door is locked with a bolt on the side of the track, slide it open first.
Pull the red cord straight down
Pull the cord down, not out, until you feel a click. That separates the door from the motor. Do not hang your weight on the cord.
Lift the door from the handle
Use the center handle or the bottom edge and raise the door slowly all the way up. A balanced door should stay open by itself when you let go.
Watch the door as you lift
If it feels very heavy, pulls to one side or will not stay up, put it back down gently and stop. That points to a spring or cable problem, and nobody should adjust those without training.
Close it the same way when you are done
Lower the door slowly with your hands on the handle. If you leave the home, close the door fully and lock it by hand.
Find the red cord and try the release once on a day with power, with the door closed, so you have done it before. Keep a flashlight near the garage door and charge a phone ahead of a storm.
3What to avoid
- Pulling the release cord with the door open or stuck halfway.
- Forcing a door that is jammed, frozen to the floor or off its track. See garage door frozen to the ground for how to free it safely.
- Touching the springs, the cable or the brackets at either side of the door. They are under tension.
- Running a car engine while the garage is closed. Ready Illinois warns never to leave a motor running in a vehicle parked in an enclosed or partly enclosed space such as a garage, because of carbon monoxide.
4If the cord does not work or the door is locked
If the cord is cut, stuck or out of reach, or the door has a manual lock engaged, you cannot always release it from the inside. Some doors can be released from the outside with a key or release kit that was installed for that purpose. Do not pry at the door or climb on it.
Overhead Door's own advice is the same: if the cord will not do the job, a broken spring is possible and a professional should look at it. See spring repair for what a technician checks.
5When the power comes back
Leave the door in the position you need until power is steady. To reconnect, close the door, pull the red cord toward the door opening and run one full cycle from the wall console or remote. The trolley clicks back into place. Check that the door reverses and stops as it normally does, and that the lights and sensors work before you rely on it.
If the door grinds, jerks or stops on its own after the reset, see what to check when a garage door will not open and call us if the opener still fails. We repair openers and also install ones with battery backup. See opener repair.
6Who to call
Emil Garage Doors repairs garage doors, springs, cables and openers and installs new doors in Illinois, including Normal, Peoria and Springfield. Call or send your details and a short note on what the door does, and we book the soonest visit. We tell you in plain words what is wrong and what a repair involves.
Questions people ask
How do I open my garage door when the power is out?
With the door fully closed, pull the red release cord straight down until it clicks, then lift the door by its handle. A balanced door stays up on its own. If it is heavy or crooked, stop and call a technician.
Can I leave the release cord pulled?
You can leave the door disconnected until the power returns, but a disconnected door will not lock through the opener. Close it by hand and slide the track lock if your door has one.
Do garage door openers have battery backup?
Some newer openers do. A built-in battery lets the door run for a while without household power. If yours is an older model, you open the door by hand.
Why is my garage door heavy to lift by hand?
A very heavy door usually means a worn or broken spring or a cable problem. Put it down gently and have a technician look at it. Do not adjust a spring yourself.
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