How to Open Your Garage Door When the Power Is Out

Every automatic garage door opener has a manual release, usually a red cord with a handle hanging from the opener rail. Federal safety rules require one for exactly this moment. Pull it, and the door disconnects from the opener so you can lift it by hand.

It takes about a minute. Here’s how to do it safely, and how to put everything back when the power returns.

Before you start: one safety check

Only lift the door by hand if the springs are intact. Look at the spring on the bar above the door. If there’s a gap in the coil, or you heard a loud bang recently, don’t pull the cord: a door with a broken spring is extremely heavy and can drop. See broken garage door spring.

Also, only pull the release with the door fully closed if you can. Pulling it with the door open, on a door with a weak or broken spring, can send it crashing down.

How to open the door by hand

1. Make sure nothing and nobody is under the door.
2. Pull the red release cord straight down (some models need a pull down and back toward the door). You’ll hear or feel a click as the trolley disconnects.
3. Unlock the door if it has a manual slide lock or T-handle on the inside.
4. Lift from the bottom, using the handle on the inside or the bottom edge. Keep your fingers away from the gaps between the panels. A balanced door should rise smoothly with moderate effort.
5. Lift it all the way up. A healthy door stays open on its own. If it starts drifting down, hold it and lower it gently. Don’t leave a door that won’t stay up, partly open.
6. Close it the same way once your car is out, and lock it with the manual lock if you’ll be away.

Locked out with no other way in?

Some doors have an outside emergency release key lock on the top panel, which lets you pull the release from outside. If yours doesn’t have one and the garage is your only way in, call a garage door technician rather than forcing the door.

Reconnecting the opener when the power comes back

Most openers reconnect themselves:

1. Close the door by hand.
2. Pull the release cord toward the opener (or as your manual shows) to reset the trolley.
3. Press the remote or wall button. The opener runs, and the trolley clicks back into place on the carriage.
4. Test the door once and watch for anything unusual.

If the remotes don’t work after a long outage, they may need reprogramming. See remote or wall button not working.

Never get stuck again: battery backup

A battery backup opener keeps working through a power cut, typically for a day or a set number of cycles depending on the model. California has required battery backup on new openers sold or installed there since 2019, after people were trapped during wildfire power shutoffs. It’s worth having anywhere storms, hurricanes or wildfires knock out power.

Many current openers offer a backup battery as an add-on. If yours is old, a new opener with built-in backup is often the better buy. See our garage door openers guide.

Secure the release while you’re at it

The same release that gets you out in an emergency can be pulled from outside with a coat hanger through the top of the door. A cheap shield or a zip tie on the release lever stops that without blocking the cord from inside. Our garage door security guide explains how.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the manual release on my garage door?

Usually a red cord with a handle hanging from the opener’s rail, near the door.

Can I open my garage door without power?

Yes, by pulling the manual release and lifting by hand, as long as the springs are intact.

Why won’t my garage door stay up after I pull the release?

The springs are probably weak or broken. Lower it carefully and call a technician.

How do I re-engage my opener after a power outage?

Close the door, reset the release, and run the opener. The trolley reconnects on its own.

Sources

• UL Standards & Engagement: UL 325 requires a manual release on residential openers
• U.S. CPSC: Using the emergency release to check your door by hand