To be honest, I never really thought about how to open my electric garage door manually until one day when the power went out in my neighborhood. I needed to get my car out of the garage but couldn’t use the electric opener. That’s when I realized I had no idea how to open my garage door manually. After a bit of research and trial and error, I learned how to do it.

In this article, I’ll share the steps I took from Garage Door Repair Chula Vista CA to open my electric garage door manually.

Step 1: Find the emergency release cord The first step in opening an electric garage door manually is to find the emergency release cord. This cord is usually red and hangs from the trolley mechanism that operates the door. The trolley mechanism runs along the track of the garage door and is typically located near the motor or at the center of the door.

When I looked for the emergency release cord, I found it fairly quickly. I gave it a firm tug to disengage the door from the electric opener.

Step 2: Lift the door manually Once the door is disengaged from the electric opener, it’s time to lift it manually. I have a double-car garage with a pretty heavy door, so I was a bit worried about lifting it on my own. However, I was surprised to find that lifting the door manually wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be.

To lift the door manually, I used both hands and lifted it slowly and steadily. I made sure to keep the door level and avoided twisting or tilting it. I used my legs to provide extra support and power. If you have a larger or heavier garage door, you may need assistance from another person.

Step 3: Secure the door in the open position Once the door is fully open, it’s important to secure it in place to prevent it from falling or closing unexpectedly. To do this, I looked for the locking mechanism at the bottom of the door. The locking mechanism is usually a metal bar or latch that fits into a corresponding slot or bracket on the garage door track.

I inserted the locking mechanism into the slot or bracket to secure the door in the open position. If your garage door doesn’t have a locking mechanism, you can use a clamp or other device to hold the door in place.

Step 4: Close the door manually When I was ready to close the garage door manually, I first released the locking mechanism and lowered the door slowly and evenly by hand. Again, I used my legs to support the weight of the door and avoided twisting or tilting it.

Once the door was closed, I re-engaged the emergency release cord by pulling it towards the door until it clicked back into place. This reconnected the door to the electric opener.

Step 5: Test the electric opener After I closed the garage door manually and re-engaged the electric opener, I tested the opener to make sure it was working properly. I used the wall switch or remote control to activate the electric opener and watched as the door opened and closed.

If the opener doesn’t work or the door doesn’t open and close smoothly, there may be a problem with the opener or the door itself. In this case, it’s best to call a professional garage door repair technician to diagnose and fix the problem.

In conclusion, as per Garage Door Repair Chula Vista CA, opening an electric garage door manually may seem daunting, but it’s actually a simple process that can be accomplished with just a few steps. By following these steps, you can safely and effectively open and close your garage door without the use of the electric opener.

Chula Vista Doors & More

490 Hale St #7, Chula Vista, CA 91910

619-202-8974