How to Open Your Garage Door in the Middle of a Blackout

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When a big storm hits and the power goes out, your automatic garage doors for your home or your business will likely shut down too, unless you have a backup generator. However, most garage doors can still be easily opened during a blackout manually, and doing so may be a necessity in some situations. Here’s how:

Switch Over to Manual Mode

In order to operate your garage door when the power is out, you’ll need to switch over to manual mode. In order to do so, you’ll need to “trip the trigger.” The trigger is the red handle that hangs off of almost all garage doors. This handle is designed to be used in emergency situations, power outages, or when a garage door remote control stops responding. When you pull on the handle, the garage will automatically switch over to manual mode.

Be careful about when you pull the red handle – if you pull it when the garage is raised, it may come crashing down. For this reason, you should only put your garage in manual mode when it is already closed. If for some reason you have to pull the power cord when the door is up, makes sure everyone is out of the way. You can also use 2x4s to protect the garage from crashing.

Switching Back to Automatic

Chances are that once your power is back on again, you’ll want to make the switch back to the convenience of an automatic garage door. To do so, you will need to reattach the door. To do so, you’ll need to re-engage the trolley attachment. This time, pull the red handle of the cord in the opposite direction, and keep pulling up until the door clicks back into place. Use your automatic garage door remote to test that you’re reconnected.

For some businesses, having a backup generator on hand may be a more convenient option.

Garage Door Repair & Maintenance in South Cook County, IL & Lake County, IN

A garage door emergency can happen at any time. When it does, who are you going to call? At Preferred Window & Door, we offer one-hour emergency service guaranteed. Whether you are a homeowner or the manager of a commercial business, if you are experiencing a garage or other door problem, we’ll get there quick.

To get a free quote and learn more about our service, contact us online or call us directly at 708-895-3667.