Garage door during a power outage

Most garage door openers stop working when the power goes out, but the door itself is built to be operated by hand. Whether that is safe depends on the condition of the door. This guide covers what to check first, how the manual release works, and what to do when the power comes back.

A standard opener runs on household power, so remotes, keypads and the wall button stop moving the door during an outage. The door can usually still be lifted by hand once the opener is disconnected from it. That works because the springs carry the weight of the door. Garaga says a properly balanced door should be liftable with one hand.

That also means the door depends on those springs and cables being intact. If one has failed, a door that is disconnected from the opener can be heavy and can fall. The outage does not cause that problem, but it removes the opener as a safeguard. Before you do anything, look at the door.

Some openers have a battery backup that keeps the opener working in an outage. Garaga notes that LiftMaster and Chamberlain offer openers with a battery backup, and says that a battery can run the opener up to 20 times without electricity. Backup features differ by model, so check your opener's manual or ask a dealer or technician about your model.

Use a flashlight. From the floor, check that the springs look intact, the cables are tight and not frayed, the tracks are straight, and the door sits level. Genie's own manual-opening instructions start with checking that the springs are intact and the hardware is undamaged. If anything looks wrong, stop here.

If the door is closed and nothing looks damaged, and you need to get a car out or get in, this is the general sequence sources describe. Model details differ, so check your model's manual.

1. Confirm the door is closed. Genie recommends pulling the release cord only when the door is in the closed position, because then it cannot move and the risk of pinching or falling is lower.
2. Pull the red emergency release cord. This disconnects the door from the opener's carriage.
3. Lift the door by its handle or gripping point, using both hands if needed, and keep fingers out of the gaps between sections. DASMA says to keep hands out of the gaps between door sections and to use lift handles or gripping points.
4. If the door is too heavy to lift, or it does not move smoothly, stop. Genie says that if the door is too heavy for manual lifting, avoid opening it manually and contact a professional.
5. Lower the door and reconnect it to the opener when you are done. Re-engaging steps vary by model, so follow your manual.
6. Before you leave, make sure you have another way back into the house.

If the door is already open when the power fails, do not pull the release cord. Genie recommends pulling it only when the door is closed. Leave it for the power to return or for a technician. For more detail on release handles, see how to use the garage door manual release safely.

If the remote and keypad do not respond and you are outside, Chamberlain notes that an outside key release is available only on certain models. Without one, there is no way to activate the opener from outside. Check your model's manual and your other entrances.

• Make sure the door is fully down and the opener is reconnected to it, then test it with the wall button. Genie suggests testing the opener after power returns.
• If the opener does not work, Genie suggests unplugging it for up to 30 seconds and then plugging it back in. If it still fails, the motor head may have been damaged by a surge, and it should be checked.
• If you plan to work on the opener, unplug it first. Genie warns that power could return unexpectedly and cause shock or injury from a moving carriage.
• Chamberlain says repeatedly unplugging and re-plugging an opener can damage internal components, so do not do it over and over.
• Chamberlain says the opener should be plugged directly into a working outlet with no switches or timers. If there is still no sign of power at the opener after the grid is back, check the outlet and breaker, and contact a qualified electrician if power cannot be restored.

If the door was disconnected and you re-engaged it but it behaves oddly, such as stopping partway, reversing, or moving unevenly, do not keep running it. See opener reverses or stops partway and garage door opener not working.

• Know where the release cord is and keep a flashlight near the door.
• Have a technician check the balance of the door as part of regular service, since a door that is hard to lift by hand is a warning sign. See how a garage door stays balanced.
• Check your opener's manual for battery backup and outside release options.
• Keep a way into the house that does not depend on the garage door.
• Keep remotes and keypad batteries fresh. See remote and keypad batteries.
• Have the door and opener inspected as part of regular maintenance. See the annual garage door maintenance checklist.

Bring in a technician and stop using the door if any of these apply, with or without a power outage:

• You heard a bang, or a spring shows a gap or looks stretched, or a cable is frayed, slack or off its drum.
• The door is crooked, out of its track, or hanging lower on one side.
• The release cord does not free the door, or the door drops or is too heavy to lift.
• The opener does not work after power returns, or the door reverses or stops partway.
• You are not sure the door is safe to lift.

Our technicians inspect the door, confirm the cause first, and repair springs, cables, tracks, rollers, openers and sensors. See garage door repair, opener repair and opener installation. For the warning signs in detail, see when a garage door is unsafe to use.

• Garage Door Repair
• Garage Door Opener Repair
• Garage Door Opener Installation

• Genie: The power is out, how to open your garage door manually
• Garaga: How to open your garage door in a power outage
• Chamberlain Group: There is no power to the garage door opener
• Chamberlain Group: Getting inside when the door does not respond to remotes or keypad
• DASMA: Garage door safety