How to Open Your Garage Door When the Power is Out

Having automatic garage doors is something that most often we take for granted amidst our busy lives. While they provide us with easy access to our homes, and protection for our vehicles, do you know how to operate your door in case the power goes out?

Some people might panic, trying to figure out how they will get their car in or out. Forget about your vehicle, others might be concerned with trying to figure out how they will gain access to their home. Are you going to have to pay a service charge to have a professional garage door service company come out and open your door? Thankfully, the answer is no! Once you know what to do, opening your automatic door when the power is out is easy!

Enable the Bypass

Most automatic doors are equipped with a bypass function, that allows you to disengage the automatic opener and operate the door manually. For most doors, the bypass function is a rope that is hanging down from your doors opener system.

When you pull down on this rope, the opener is then disengaged from the automatic system that is rendered useless due to the power outage. It is recommended that you only engage the bypass when your garage door is in the closed position, as the weight of the door could cause it to slam down; potentially injuring or damaging to objects, animals, or people that are standing nearby.

Once you have enabled your doors bypass, you are then able to operate your door manually. While this is not ideal, and requires more effort on your part, don’t let the power outage prevent you from using your garage as you normally would.

What to do when the power is restored?

When the power is restored to your home, you’ll need to reattach your garage door to the automatic opener. Just like when you enabled the bypass, you’ll need to pull down on the rope again. Once you have pulled on the rope, you’ll need to pull up on the door until you hear or feel it snap back into place. If you prefer, you can also push the button on your remote. This option will allow for you to see the spring attachment reconnect once the opener reaches a certain point.

When the power goes out, there is a possibility that your door may fail to engage with the operator again. If this happens it is important to call a professional garage door repair technician to hook your door back up.

Safety First

Even with the power out, your garage doors are still an extremely heavy object in your home. It is important to practice safety measures around your door, especially when manually operating the door. While it is possible to disengage and engage your door, never put your safety or the safety of others above a working garage door. A few hours of inconvenience are not worth the potential risk to your safety.

At Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors we have expert technicians who are able to help with any garage door problems that you might be experiences. Whether you are needing service, maintenance, repair or a complete replacement, we have the knowledge to get you what you need. Contact us today to schedule an appointment for all your garage door needs!