Nothing reminds a homeowner of the convenience of owning an automatic garage door as well as when something goes wrong. You need an emergency garage door repair, but still need to get in and out until a garage door repair service arrives.
In the event of a power outage, or if your automatic garage door needs emergency repair, follow the below steps to open and secure the garage door manually until the problem can be fixed.
Opening Your Garage Door Manually
Note: If your garage door is misaligned, or there are components that have failed such as springs or pulleys, operating your garage door may pose a risk of injury or damage. Do Not attempt to operate your garage door if it is not mechanically sound.
Automatic garage doors are equipped with bypass switches that will allow the door to be opened manually in case of emergency. This bypass switch is activated via a handle connected to the switch by a red release cord. Pulling on this cord will disengage the trolley from the track that the door travels along to open and close.
Once the trolley is released, the door is free to move up or down. You may now lift the door manually to open. Keep in mind that without the assistance of the door opener motor, lifting the door will require some force even though the torsion spring (or extension springs on some models) will support some of its weight.
If the emergency occurs while the door is open, take special care when releasing the trolley with the red handle to close the door. It will close with significant force unless it is manually guided to a closed position by supporting the weight of the door as it closes.
To retain easy access in and out of the garage, you can leave the trolley disconnected to allow the door to move freely up and down.
Securing the Closed Garage Door
When your garage door is closed, it can be reopened from inside or outside by simply lifting the door unless the trolley is engaged on the door track. To secure the door, you can re-engage the trolley by pulling the handle toward the door while it is closed until it snaps into place. You may need to pull up on the door to ensure that the trolley is fully engaged.
Make sure that the area around the door is clear of people, pets or obstructions before attempting to close the door manually.
Important: Remember, your garage door can travel freely when the trolley is released from the track. If you plan to keep the door open, it is advisable to support it with 2×4’s on either side to prevent the door from inadvertently coming down.
Broken springs present an injury hazard and require immediate repair. Without the support of springs, your garage door can close with significant force, and should not be operated manually unless absolutely necessary.
Contact an authorized professional garage door repair company in Houston to get your garage door back in working order as soon as possible.
