Power Outage? Here's How to Access Your Garage
As recently as the 1970s and 80s a lot of homeowners had to get out of the car to open and close the garage door by hand. However, for the past 30 years or so virtually all overhead garage doors have been motorized, requiring only the push of a button on a remote to open (and sometimes not even that). But what if there's a power outage that renders your garage door opener useless? What do you do then? In this post, we'll explain how to go about opening a stuck garage door in the event the power goes out.
Does a Power Outage Mean I Have to Leave My Car Outside?
Outages happen. And while there are no doubt exceptions, the vast majority of garage doors today do not have a backup power source that kicks in during a power outage. So if the power goes out in your area, your garage door's opener is temporarily rendered useless until its restored. Not only that, but because the opener is integrated directly into the door mechanism you can't just walk up to the door if the power is out and pull it open by hand. Before you can do that you have to disengage the opener, and that's what we're here to discuss today. How to disconnect the opener so you can manually open and close the door.
Steps to Disengage the Opener in the Event of a Power Outage
Whenever we install a new garage door, we're careful to take the homeowner through the process of disengaging the opener in the event of a power outage so they can gain access to their garage. Not surprisingly, however, most homeowners have a million things on their minds and so they quickly forget this lesson.
When the power goes out and they find themselves unable to access their garage we get calls requesting emergency garage door repair. But in almost all cases no repairs are necessary. All they have to do is disconnect the automatic opener - which can be done by following the steps in the infographic below.
Click here to download the infographic as a PDF.
If it seems like it's going to be a long outage, contact C & M Garage Doors and request our repair service. We will be able to close the door for you in a safe and effective fashion. Once the door is closed you can go about using it in manual mode until the power comes back on.
SAFETY TIP: If the power goes out while the door is open, do not pull the override cord; this can cause the door to crash down. Instead, leave it open and wait for the power to return.
Garage Door Opener FAQs
Yes, many modern garage door openers support backup batteries, allowing limited operation during power outages. Check with your manufacturer or installer to see if this option is available for your system.
If all entry points are locked, you may need to use an emergency garage door release kit. These kits are designed for situations where you cannot access the garage from the inside.
It's a good idea to test the manual override every 6–12 months to ensure it’s functional and you’re familiar with the process.
Yes, some smart garage door openers come with battery backups and mobile app access, allowing remote operation even during outages.
If the door doesn’t stay open, the torsion spring may be unbalanced or damaged. Contact a professional for repairs, as this can be a safety hazard.
Leaving your garage door open can pose security risks. Use manual locks or secure it with a heavy-duty clamp on the tracks until power is restored.
Yes, power surges can damage the opener’s motor or circuit board. Use a surge protector to minimize the risk of damage.
Ensure the opener is aligned properly and try re-engaging it by pulling the manual release handle or using the remote. If it still doesn’t work, consult a professional technician.
Call Our Garage Door Serice Team for Fast, Affordable Opener Repairs
The engineers behind today's garage doors took everything into consideration during the design process, including the possibility of the power going out and rendering the opener temporarily useless. That's why they included the manual opener override switch. This simple mechanism ensures you always have access to your garage regardless of what's going on with the power grid.
Need Garage Door Opener Repairs?
Visit the page below to learn more about the garage door repair services we offer in Northern Colorado - or call our team for a free estimate!.Garage Door Repairs
If you find yourself locked out of your garage during a power outage just follow the above steps to gain safe and effective entrance using the manual override mechanism. And if you need garage door repair or installation contact the team at C & M Garage Doors by calling us at (970) 663-7335. We're the overhead door company more homeowners trust than any other.