Opening a garage door by hand during a power cut
If the door is balanced, you can lift it by hand after disconnecting it from the opener. If you heard a bang first, leave it alone.
Step by step
Decide whether to do it at all
If you heard a bang before the power went out, or the door looks crooked, do not lift it. A spring may have failed.
Close the door first, if you can
An open door can fall fast once it is released if a spring is weak.
Pull the release
It is usually a handle or cord hanging from the opener's rail. Your manual shows how yours works. You should feel the door let go.
Lift with both hands
Go slowly. A balanced door rises with moderate effort and stays put when you let go partway.
If it is heavy or drops, lower it and stop
That points to a spring problem, not a power problem.
Keep clear
Do not stand or park under a door you have lifted by hand.
When the power comes back
Close the door fully and reconnect it to the opener as the manual describes. On some units you pull the cord toward the motor. Others reconnect on their next run. If the door catches or the opener struggles afterward, stop and have a contractor look at it.
If power cuts keep catching you out
Some openers can run for a time on a battery. Ask a contractor whether yours can take one. If the release sticks or the door feels heavy each time, see opener repair.
Ready to talk to a contractor?
Call this number and say what the door is doing. The contractor who answers is independent of this site.