You’re on your way home from a long day at work, but when you pull into your driveway, something just feels wrong. You hit your garage door opener with the remote, but nothing happens. Wait – did the power go out? With modern technology and a flashlight in every phone, a little power outage is nothing to worry about — except for the fact that you can’t get into your garage. Luckily for you, garage door manufacturers have planned for this, and there are a few ways you can keep your garage door open when the power is out. In this article, we’ll give you 2 ways you can access your garage, both from outside and inside, to park your car in a safe and sound way.

[Edit]things you should know

• To open the garage door from the outside, use the emergency release key to open the emergency release lock. Then, pull down on the cord to unlock the door.^[1]
• Use the same key to unlock the manual lock (near the center of the garage door), then turn the handle vertically. Finally, lift the door from the bottom up to open it.
• To open the garage door from the inside, unplug the automatic door opener and pull the emergency release cord.
• Lift the door up from the bottom, then close it by hand.

[Edit]step

[Edit]from outside

1. Find the emergency release lock and key.^[2] The emergency release lock is on the top of your garage door. Locate this lock, then find the corresponding key that came with it. You will need your key to open your garage door from the outside.^[3]
   
   • The emergency release lock usually sits flush with your garage door, because it’s meant to blend in. It will almost always be dead-center and near the top of your garage door.
   • If you don’t have the key, you can still open your garage door from the inside. However, you do need your emergency release key to open your garage door from the outside.
2. Unlock the emergency release cord, then pull it.^[4] The emergency release cord will open your garage door. Insert your key into the emergency release on top of the garage door, then turn it counterclockwise. When the cord is out, pull it towards you.^[5]
   
3. Unlock the manual lock and rotate the handle so it is vertical.^[6] you’re almost there! Just one more lock to deal with. Take the same key you just used and find the lock in the middle of the garage door above the handle. Turn the key into the lock and at the same time turn the handle counterclockwise so that it is straight.^[7]
   
   • You can either take the key out now and store it for safekeeping, or you can leave it in the manual lock to use safely inside the garage.
4. Raise the garage door manually. Lean down and pull up on the handle at the bottom of the door. The garage door will slide smoothly as you open it. Keep pushing the door up until it stops moving.^[8]
   
   • Make sure you keep the garage door fully open. If you only open it halfway, it may fall down again.
5. Close the garage door behind your car. Once you’re inside, get out of the car and pull the door back down by hand. Use the same key to close both locks so you can open your garage door when the power comes back on.^[9]
   

[Edit]from inside

1. Unplug your automatic door opener. Look under the trolley track where the garage door is normally open. The only thing your automatic door opener has is a power cable connected to it. Before you begin opening the garage door without power, reach over and unplug the garage door opener.^[10]
   
   • Even if the power is off now, it may come back on later. Unplugging the door opener saves you from damaging the assembly and a difficult re-installation later.
2. Pull the emergency release cord. Look for the red lanyard with the plastic handle on the trolley track. Reach up and pull the emergency cord until you hear a click. This click means that the door is now in manual mode.^[11]
   
   • If you’re pulling hard and don’t hear a click, the garage door may not be closing all the way. Pull the door down manually until it touches the floor, then try pulling the cord again.
3. Lift the garage door up from the bottom to open it. Now that your door is in manual mode, you can easily open it yourself. Lean down and lift the door from the bottom, and continue lifting until the door is fully open.^[12]
   
   • Make sure you open the door all the way. Opening it halfway can cause the door to fall back down, which can be dangerous.
4. Close the garage door behind your car. Once your car is out of the garage, you can back out and pull down the garage door. Never leave the garage door open and unattended when the power is off, as a strong gust of wind could cause it to fall.^[13]
   
   • If you plan to leave, use your emergency release key to lock the manual lock on your garage door.

[Edit]reset garage door opener

1. Reconnect the garage door opener when the power comes back on. Once your power outage is fixed, you can safely reconnect your garage door opener. You’ll need to do this whether you opened your door from the inside or the outside, since your garage door will be in manual mode.^[14]
   
2. Push up on the release lever with a broomstick. Look at the track of the garage door on the ceiling and find the emergency release cord. Use a broom or stand on a ladder, and push the base of the rope up until you hear a click. This will deactivate manual mode.^[15]
   
   • You can also pull the cord vertically to separate it, although this is a bit more difficult to do.
3. Plug in the garage door opener if it is unplugged. If you opened your garage door from the inside, your automatic door opener will still be unplugged. To reset things just plug it back in and press the garage door opener button on your remote.^[16]
   
   • It may take about 30 seconds for the garage door opener to reboot itself.
   • Try opening and closing your garage door a few times to double check that the opener is on.

[Edit]Advice

• If your garage door swings or opens unevenly after the power comes back on, something may be wrong. Contact a professional to come and see.

[Edit]Warning

• Leaving your door open in manual mode can be dangerous. Always lock your garage door if you plan to leave it unattended for long periods of time.

[Edit]expert interview

Thank you for reading our article! If you want to learn more about working out at your home, check out our in-depth [v161695_b01],

[Edit]Reference