Garage Door Power Outage: Manual Release Steps

Learn how to use the emergency release to open an electric garage door in a power outage, how to relock it safely and what never to touch.

A power outage can leave your car stuck in the garage, or leave you locked out of the house if the garage door is your main entrance. Most electric openers have a manual release so you can open the door by hand. Using it correctly is simple, but doing it wrong can damage the door or cause injury. This guide gives the general steps. Always read your opener and door manual, because models differ.

Find the emergency release

Look at the rail or track that runs along the garage ceiling from the opener to the door. You will usually see a cord with a handle, often red, hanging from a small carriage (the trolley) on the rail. That is the manual release. Check now, while the power is on, so you are not searching in the dark. Make sure the handle is within reach for an adult, and know that some installers mount it high.

Before you pull the cord

• Close the door first if you can. Releasing an open door can make it fall if the springs are weak or the door is off balance.
• Make sure children, pets and vehicles are clear of the door's path.
• Check that nothing is blocking the door or tracks.
• Have a flashlight or headlamp. See our lighting guide.

Open the door by hand

1. Pull the release cord straight down (or as the manual directs). This disconnects the door from the opener, and you should hear or feel a click.
2. Stand to the side and lift the door using the handles or the bottom edge, keeping your hands and fingers away from joints and pinch points.
3. A properly balanced door should lift with moderate effort and stay partly open. If it is very heavy, slams down or drifts, stop. Do not force it.
4. Prop the door open fully or step away and keep clear while it is open. Do not stand or walk under a door that is only partly supported.

Close and relock safely

Lower the door slowly with both hands, keeping fingers out of the seams. If the door slams, it is likely out of balance. To reconnect to the opener once power returns, follow your manual. Many models re-engage when you pull the release cord toward the opener or when you run the opener, and the trolley catches. Others have a lever you move. Do not run the opener at full force if the door is binding. If the opener does not re-engage, stop and check the manual or call a technician.

If you must leave the home with the door disconnected, remember that it will no longer be locked by the opener. A manually disengaged door can often be lifted from outside. Think about home security and use a lock on the interior or pass-through door if needed.

Backup options and prep

Some openers include a battery backup. If yours has one, check the battery regularly and replace it when the maker says. Other households keep an outside keyed release, which some doors have, so they can open from outside without power. If you plan to use a power station for the opener, check wattage and surge, as covered in our power station sizing guide (motors need extra power to start). See our outage preparation guide to cover the rest of the house.

Practice once a year with a licensed adult in a safe setting, so everyone knows what the release feels like. Teach teenagers, but keep young children away from the garage door and the release cord.

Car and exit planning

If your car is in the garage and you plan to evacuate, open the door before starting the engine, and never run a vehicle in a closed garage. Carbon monoxide builds up quickly and can enter the home. See our carbon monoxide safety guide. If you drive an electric vehicle, you may have charging and range considerations covered in EV as backup power.

A short tag on the wall near the opener with the release steps in your own words is a helpful reminder during a stressful night.

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