What Should You Do With a Garage Door During a Power Outage?

While you won’t be able to use your opener during a power outage, you can still open and close the doors manually. You should only disengage the opener when the doors are closed to avoid them slamming to the ground. This could not only damage the door but is also dangerous if people or pets are nearby. Pull the red emergency release cord on the door trolley to disconnect the garage door opener and enable manual operation.

The springs in the door should make it easy to lift and lower when you need to enter or exit the garage. If the door doesn’t open, you may have a broken spring or another repair issue.

After the power comes back, you will need to pull the red emergency release cord again. Instead of pulling it straight down, pull the cord toward the door. This will allow the carriage and spring level to reconnect.

After you’ve dealt with the cord, run the opener so that the door rises to a fully open position. Close it all the way, as well, so the carriage and trolley can reconnect. You should hear a click to confirm components are back in place. If your electronic opener doesn’t work after completing these steps, reach out to a repair technician for assistance.