Garage Door Stuck? Need To Access It From Outside?
Check out this video on how to open a garage door manually from outside.
Nowadays, most garage doors depend on electricity to operate.
They usually work through a remote to lift the panels at a certain distance, depending on the opener’s frequency.
However, if garage doors are power-operated, how do you open them during a power outage?
You don’t need to wait for the power to come back.
Here are the steps on how to open a garage door manually from outside:
Step #1: Find the Emergency Release Lock
Most garage doors have an emergency release kit installed in their system.
It consists of a lock and a key.
The lock is usually located at the top and center of the garage door.
It stores the emergency cable.
The key, on the other hand, should always be with you.
Step #2: Unlock Using the Appropriate Key
After locating the emergency release lock, insert the key and turn it.
Pull out the lock tumbler to see the emergency cable.
The emergency cable will put your garage door into manual mode.
And by pulling that cord, the motor will disengage
Step #3: Lift the Garage Door
After unlocking the emergency release kit, lift the door with your hands.
Make sure it goes all the way up.
Drive your car inside and close the garage door after.
Make sure it closes tightly.
Step #4: Re-engage the Release Mechanism
To re-engage the release mechanism, push the lever upward through climbing a ladder or using a long stick.
Or you can also pull the release cable upward and toward the door until you hear a click.
Safety Precautions in Opening a Garage Door Manually
Like any other activities, you need to be careful when opening your garage door manually. Here are some safety precautions you should follow:
• Never pull out the emergency cord if the garage door is open. In this situation, the garage door can become a falling hazard and cause injuries.
• Unplug the garage door from the electrical system. You never know when the power is coming back, so it is essential to unplug it from the electrical system. In this way, you can avoid electric shock.
• Use flashlights at night. At night time, it is hard to distinguish mechanical parts. Thus, equip yourself with a flashlight to see things better.
• Test the garage door when the power comes back. As there are several alterations in your garage door’s system, test it out if it still operates well using the remote. If not, contact a technician for a garage door repair.
• When in doubt, get help. If you are unfit to open the garage door manually, ask for assistance from professionals.
Reliable and Top-Rated Team of Technicians in Long Beach
Note that the procedures on how to open a garage door manually from outside are only applicable when you have the emergency kit key.
In case that you left it at home, or you lost it, you need to call for a team of garage door technicians.
Long Beach Garage Doors has reliable and top-rated technicians who have the necessary knowledge on how to open a garage door manually from outside without a key.
For years, we have developed up-to-date procedures to provide garage door services in the most efficient way possible.
Some of our services in Long Beach are the following:
• Garage door installation
• Garage door repair
• Commercial roll-up tune-up
• Track alignment
• Broken spring repair
• Roller replacement
• Heavy-duty roll-up commercial garage door inspection
We can cater to both residential and commercial establishments.
So, whenever you need us, never hesitate to give us a call.
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With our unrivaled reputation, you will undoubtedly have no regrets.
We are the right partner for your garage door needs.
No task is too small or big for us.
The moment that you need our help, our friendly staff will be immediately on its way.
We make sure to follow safety regulations and local policies in working with you.
We equip ourselves with the right protective gear and tools to finish the job quickly and safely.
Whenever you need assistance in Long Beach, we are just one ring away.
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When Will You Need To Open Your Garage Door Manually?
Certain instances necessitate you to manually open your door.
When there is a power interruption, you won’t be able to use your automatic garage door opener.
If you’re locked out of your garage, you have no other choice but to gain access to your garage by manual operation.
If you don’t know how to open your garage door manually from outside, this article should be helpful.
Or call Long Beach Garage Door Repair for emergency garage door solutions. Our friendly team of garage door technicians will help you open your garage door in case of a power outage.
Simply call our emergency hotline, and we’ll immediately send out our best repairmen for the job.
Call us anytime, even after work hours, for prompt and timely garage door repair in Long Beach.
Steps to Open the Garage Door Manually from the Outside
If you can’t automatically open your garage door from the outside, you need to have a plan B.
And that plan is to open your door manually using the emergency key release.
- Determine where the emergency key release is on your garage door.
- Once you’ve located it, use your key to gain access to your door. Insert the key into the lock and turn it.
- Drag the lock tumbler out to uncover a release cord.
- Pull the cord to disconnect the garage door opener motor from the door.
- Once you disengage the opener, you’ll be able to manually open your garage door.
- Try opening your garage door by lifting it until it’s completely open. Make sure that your garage door won’t fall to prevent injuries and damages.
How To Re-Establish The Emergency Key Release
Once you’ve gained access to your garage and parked your car inside, you need to put the emergency key release back.
But you can only do this if the power is back on.
Re-establishing the emergency key release is vital.
This is so that you can use the emergency key release the next time you need to manually open your garage door from the outside.
It also serves a security purpose for your garage door.
- Close your garage door and pull down the same emergency release cord on the garage door opener motor.
- And then, manually raise your door until you hear your opener motor reconnect to the door.
- Insert the lock tumbler into the hole and secure it with your key. You should be able to use the emergency key release again when you need to.
What To Do If You Don’t Have A Key?
In the unfortunate circumstance that you don’t have a key at the same time that a power outage occurs, here’s what you can do:
Pick the emergency key release lock or try to reach the emergency release cord from the top of your door.
In either way, you’ll still need to follow the steps mentioned above.
- Try using a hairpin to pick your garage door emergency key release. The purpose of this step is to gain access to the key release, and consequently the emergency release cord.
- You can also try using a coat hanger to directly get a hold of the emergency release cord. Insert the hanger on the top opening of your garage door and reach for the release cord of your door opener.
- Once you have access to the emergency release cord, pull it to disengage the motor from your door.
- Finally, you can now lift your garage door by hand to open it fully and enter your garage. You’ll never know when power interruptions occur and you need to open your door manually. Hence, you should always be prepared. Keep a spare key to the emergency key release in your car to avoid having to break into your own garage.
Conclusion
Do you see now how to do manually operation of the garage door?
The answer is the emergency key release.
This component gives you access to your door opener release cord so that you can disconnect the motor from the door.
Then, you can lift your garage door manually with ease.
If you need professional garage door repair in Long Beach, call Long Beach Garage Door Repair.
Our team is always ready to provide you with high-quality garage door repair and installation services.
Book with us now, and let our team handle your garage door repair needs.
