Convenient and Emergency Options You Should Know About
Picture this: you’re rushing out the door in the morning, running late for work. After a long, stressful day, you come home only to realize your garage door opener remote is dead, you’ve left it inside the house, or you’re experiencing a power outage.
How will you get inside your garage?
If you’re reading this because you find yourself in one of these situations, Tracker Door Systems sympathizes with you! We’ve all been there.
Or maybe you’re reading this because you’re looking for a convenient way to open your garage door, or you’re planning ahead.
In any case, you’ll find a way to get inside your garage in this blog.
Opening Your Garage Door With a Remote
Any remote programmed to work with your operator will open your garage door, including ones built into your vehicle’s visor. Simply press the open button on your remote.
Pro Tip: Need help programming your garage door remote? Read our helpful blog.
Opening Your Garage Door With Your Smartphone
If you have a smart garage door opener system, you can open your garage door using the dedicated app on your smartphone.
If you don’t have the app, you’ll need to start by downloading it. Check with your operator’s owner’s manual for details on the correct app to use.
Then, tap the open button in the app to operate your garage door.
Manually Opening Your Garage Door When the Power Is Out
These instructions apply if you are already inside your garage. Most residential garage doors have a manual release function for use during power outages, if your garage door opener remote breaks, or if the operator stops working.
The manual release is a short rope that hangs from the garage door track, with a red T-shaped handle. With the garage door closed, pull this cord to disconnect the door from the drive chain or belt.
To pull the door open, grab the handle on the inside of the garage door and lift it upward.
You’ll follow these same steps if you need your garage door opener repaired, and the door won’t open using other methods.
Opening Your Garage Door From the Outside, Without Power, Using a Battery Backup
If you have an operator with a battery backup, you will still be able to open your garage door from the outside when your power is out.
The battery backup feature is not included in all operators, so check whether yours has it. If you do, the battery is enclosed in the operator itself, usually mounted on or near your garage ceiling. The backup will turn on automatically in a power outage, so you can use your garage door opener remote or smartphone app as usual.
Although you can open and close your garage door using this feature during a power outage, it is not meant for frequent operation.
Pro Tip: Don’t have a battery backup garage door opener and want to upgrade? Call Tracker Door Systems.
Opening a Garage Door From the Outside, Without Power, Using the Emergency Release Mechanism
If your garage door opener isn’t working because your power is out or your remote is dead, you may be able to manually open your garage door from the outside if you have an emergency release kit installed on it.
Look for the emergency release keyhole on your garage door. On doors with this feature, it is located near the top of the door and requires a special key to unlock it. Pull the cord inside to activate the release.
Double-check that the manual garage door lock, located next to the handle near the bottom of your door, is also unlocked.
You can now open the door by hand. Simply lift it up until it stops and the springs hold it in place.
Pro Tip: Not all doors have this feature. Check whether your door does before you find yourself locked out of your garage during a power outage.
Opening a Garage Door Without an Electronic Operator
If your residential garage door does not include an electronic operator, you will have to manually open your garage door, whether you’re inside or out.
If you are opening the garage door from the outside:
- If the garage door is already unlocked, you can lift the door to open it.
- Otherwise, you will need to use your key to unlock the manual lock on the outside of the garage door.
- Turn the handle until it is vertical.
- Lift the garage door to open it.
If you are opening the garage door from the inside, turn the interior handle until it is vertical, and the locking mechanism releases. Lift the garage door until it stops, and the springs hold it in place.
Pro Tip: If you don’t have a garage door opener, now is the perfect time to add this convenience feature. Contact Tracker Door Systems for a free estimate on equipment and installation.
Get a Garage Door Opener or Garage Door Opener Repair From Your Hometown Experts
No matter the situation, knowing multiple ways to open your garage door will save you a lot of time and stress.
If your current system isn’t as reliable or convenient as you’d like, or if you need garage door opener repair, Tracker Door Systems is here to help. Located in Leavenworth, Kansas, we serve the greater Kansas City and northeastern Kansas areas.
Don’t get caught in a jam. Call us today at (913) 585-3100 for a free estimate for anything related to your residential garage doors.
