Quick answer: To open a garage door during a power outage, first make sure it is fully closed. Pull the red emergency release cord straight down, then lift by the handle or bottom section until the door is fully open. A balanced door lifts with modest effort and stays put. If it feels heavy or crooked, or it was already open when the power went out, leave it and call.
Key takeaways
- Pull the red cord only when the door is fully closed. If the door was up when the power failed, leave it up.
- Lift by the handle or within 8 inches of the bottom edge, never at the joints between sections.
- A door that feels heavy, tilts or will not stay open has a spring problem. Leave it closed and call.
- Outages here can last days. Lock a released door, keep it closed in high wind, and never drive through a closed door.
How do I open a garage door during a power outage?
Grab a flashlight and look before you pull anything. The red emergency release cord hangs from the trolley on the opener rail, about six feet above the floor, according to DASMA’s sheet on opening a garage door in a power outage. A wall-mounted opener beside the door has its release on the unit; your owner’s manual shows where. Then go step by step:
| Step | What you should feel or see | Stop if |
|---|---|---|
| Confirm the door is fully closed | Bottom seal on the floor | It is open or stuck partway |
| Check springs and cables | Even coils, snug cables | A gap in a spring, or a frayed or slack cable |
| Pull the red cord straight down | A click as the trolley lets go | The cord will not release |
| Open the manual lock, if any | The lock bar clears the track | The lock will not move |
| Lift by the handle or bottom section | Smooth travel, modest effort | It feels heavy, jerks or tilts |
| Raise it fully and let go | It stays open on its own | It drifts down or drops |
| Lower it by hand when done | Slow, even travel | It slams or binds |
Never use a ladder, board or trash can to prop up a door that wants to come down. A door that will not stay open on its own needs repair, not a prop.
Is it safe to lift a garage door by hand?
Yes, when the door is balanced and you hold it in the right place. The springs carry the door’s weight. The opener only guides it up and down. That is why a healthy door usually lifts with modest effort once it is released.
Where your hands go matters. DASMA’s sheet on manual operation of an automatic garage door calls for gripping points within 8 inches of the bottom edge. It warns that the joint between sections is not a suitable place to hold, and that gripping there could result in serious injury.
Keep kids and pets out of the garage while you work. If you find yourself straining, lower the door if you can do so safely. A hard lift usually means a spring problem.
The two times you should not try: a broken spring and a door that is already up
A broken spring. The signs: a loud bang in the garage, maybe days ago; a gap in a spring coil; a frayed or slack cable; a crooked door; or a door that feels like dead weight once released. The opener can hide tired springs for a long time, so an outage is often the first time anyone feels the door’s real weight.
If you see any of those, leave the door closed and the car inside, and do not recruit a neighbor to help lift. Springs store a lot of energy, and DASMA calls them arguably the most important and most dangerous part of your door. They are a job for the garage door spring technicians at Larry Myers Garage Doors.
A door that is already up. If the power fails with the door open or stuck partway, leave it there and do not pull the cord. If a spring is weak, the opener’s trolley may be all that keeps the door from coming down, and the cord removes that support. Keep everyone out from under it, and call us if it needs to come down before the power returns.
How do I reconnect the opener when power returns?
Steps vary, so keep the owner’s manual handy. LiftMaster’s support pages give reconnect steps for each opener style, and on many models you simply run a full cycle and the trolley reconnects on its own. Some Nice/Linear models have a release lever you flip back up first. In general:
- Close the door fully, clear its path and unlock the manual lock if you used it.
- Set any release lever your manual describes, then press the wall button.
- Let the trolley travel until it latches, and watch one full cycle.
- Run the reversal test. Lay a 2×4 flat on the floor in the door’s path, and the door must reverse on contact. Block the photo eye beam, and the door must not close.
Our guide to the reversal and balance tests covers both. If the trolley will not latch or the door fails either test, stop and call. If a remote seems dead afterward, try a fresh battery first, then reprogram it using your owner’s manual.
How do I get in from outside during an outage?
The red cord only works from inside, so another door is usually your easiest way in. Some garages, often ones with no other entry door, have an outside release: a small keyed lock near the top of the door with a cable to the trolley. If you have one, test the key now, while the power is on. A phone app usually will not help, since it needs power at the opener and a working internet connection.
Do not force your way in. DASMA warns against prying at the panel joints and against ever driving through a closed garage door. Its outage sheet recommends battery backup openers, and many newer garage door openers include one. LiftMaster says its backup battery usually lasts one to two years, so test yours each fall.
Ice storms, windstorms and multi-day outages in Portland and Vancouver
Around here, outages run days, not hours. In January 2024, the Portland airport stayed at or below freezing for 122 straight hours, then freezing rain coated trees and power lines, hitting east and central Portland hardest. News reports counted more than 200,000 customers in the region without power, including 24,675 in Clark County. The February 2021 ice storm was bigger still, the largest power outage in Oregon’s recorded history.
Most of these outages start with trees and limbs falling on lines under ice or in windstorms, and restoring every street can take days. An Ice Storm Warning from NWS Portland, typically issued for a quarter inch of ice or more, is your cue to get ready while the lights are still on.
Before and during a long outage:
- Run the balance test now. With the door closed, pull the release, lift the door halfway and let go. It should stay put. If not, get the springs checked before the storm.
- Keep the door closed in high wind. DASMA notes that an open door in a high wind event leaves the interior walls, ceilings and roof vulnerable to structural damage.
- Lock a released door. With the opener disconnected, nothing holds it shut.
- Do not force a frozen door. The bottom seal can stick to the slab during a cold snap. See our guide to a garage door frozen to the ground.
- Keep exhaust out. Never run a generator or warm up the car in the garage, even with the door open.
When to call a professional
Stop using the door and call us if:
- The door feels heavy, tilts or will not stay open.
- You heard a loud bang or see a gap in a spring coil.
- A cable is frayed, slack or off its drum.
- The door is stuck open or partway and cannot wait for power.
- The trolley will not relatch, or the door fails the reversal test.
Until we arrive, leave the door where it is and keep people and pets clear. Our garage door repair team serves Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington and Clark counties, and same-day service is available: 503-852-9238 in Portland, 360-777-6854 in Vancouver. For a checkup before the first big storm, request a free estimate.
Frequently asked questions
Can pulling the release cord damage the opener?
Not when you use it as intended. The release is built to be pulled, and with the door closed it simply unhooks the trolley from the door. The risk comes from pulling it with the door open, where a weak spring can let the door drop, or from running the opener against a locked door. Unlock the door before you reconnect.
Should two people lift a heavy garage door by hand?
A second person is handy for the flashlight and for keeping kids and pets back. But a balanced door, even a double, usually lifts with modest effort from one adult. If it takes two of you, the springs are not doing their job. Set it down if you can do so safely, leave it closed and call us.
What if the door will not stay up after I open it by hand?
That usually points to worn or broken springs. A balanced door stays put when you let go, halfway or fully open. If yours drifts down or drops, lower it gently by the handle if you can do so safely, keep everyone clear and leave it closed. Never prop it with a ladder or board and walk under it. Call us instead.
How do I close the garage door by hand during an outage?
Hold the lift handle or bottom section and lower the door slowly, keeping your fingers away from the joints between sections and your feet clear of the bottom edge. Once it is down, use the manual lock if your door has one, since the opener is no longer holding it shut. Unlock it before you reconnect.
Power out and the door feels heavy?
Larry Myers Garage Doors has treated Portland and Vancouver customers like neighbors since 1973: transparent, affordable pricing, same-day service available, no extra charge on Saturdays, work backed by our warranty, and estimates that are always free.
Licensed, bonded and insured: Oregon CCB #167435, Washington #MYERSGD942K4. Authorized dealer for Northwest Door, Clopay, Genie, LiftMaster, Wayne Dalton, Linear and Windsor. Serving Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington and Clark counties. Read our reviews.