Unless you have built-in precautions against this, you can straighten out a wire hanger and insert it through the top of the garage door. Feel around until you reach the emergency latch. If you can hook the cord, slowly pull on it. Once the safety release is disengaged, you can roll the door up manually.
Almost all garage doors feature a manual release function to bypass the opening mechanism during power outages or in case the motor malfunctions or a garage door remote breaks.
To open a garage door from the outside, use the emergency release key to open the emergency release lock. Then, pull the cord down to unlock the door. Use the same key to unlock the manual lock (near the center of the garage door), then turn the handle vertical. Finally, lift the door up from the bottom to open it up.
Every modern garage should come with an emergency release kit, a system installed into your garage that allows you to manually open the door from the inside or outside.
A burglar can open a garage door from the outside in a matter of seconds with nothing more than a wire coat hanger. All they have to do is use a tool to pry open the top edge of the door, drive the hanger through the opening, grab the cord with the hook and pull.
Garage doors can be very vulnerable to burglary if left unsecured. There are two main ways your garage door might be forced open. First, there are automatic garage door openers. If you have a garage door opener produced after 2004, you have very little risk of another remote working on your garage.
Lifting the door manually is not recommended but it is possible. If you decide to open the door manually use extreme caution garage doors are heavy and they feel heavier without working springs. When possible have another person assist in lifting the door.
Control your ismartgate Smart Garage door opener and other connected devices with the SmartThings app for iPhone or Android. Use your SmartThings app to open your smart garage door opener or gate from everywhere. Thanks to the SmartThings app, you can close your garage door opener or gate from everywhere.
Storm winds will both push and pull on the garage door. A wind resistant garage door that is appropriate for local code is designed to withstand this. Backing a vehicle against the garage door can damage the door as well as your vehicle. Never operate your garage door during a high wind event.
Pull the Emergency Release Cord
Pull the release cord towards the door. This compresses the spring lever and allows the components of your door to connect. Once your home regains power, close the door. The door must be completely closed before the opener can reconnect and begin opening automatically.
If your garage door has a broken cable or spring, opening it manually is going to be quite difficult and potentially dangerous. We recommend contacting a garage door repair professional because if a spring is broken the door is going to be very heavy to lift.
The role of a garage door cable
Garage door cables ensure the safe operation of high-tension springs. The springs in your garage door are powerful and hold the tension that the door needs to lift and shut. Over time, these springs go through general wear and tear. Worn springs pose a safety hazard as they can break.
Garage Door Cable Purpose
The cables are attached to the bottom of the garage door and a cable drum at either end of the torsion spring shaft. When the torsion spring turns the drums, the cables wrap or unwrap around the drum, the door lifts or closes.