By Ernest Mabry, Garage Door Guides Editor
Updated October 2026
Short answer
To open a garage door during a power outage, make sure the door is fully closed, pull the red emergency release cord on the opener trolley, and lift the door by hand from the middle. If it feels very heavy or will not stay up, a spring is probably broken, so stop and call rather than forcing it.
Why this matters in Houston
Houston has long outages often enough that every household should know this. When Hurricane Beryl came through on July 8, 2024, CenterPoint reported 2.26 million of its 2.6 million customers without power, the largest outage in its history, and some homes waited days for it to come back.
Every garage without a battery backup opener had to be opened by hand. For homes where the garage is the main way in and out, knowing how to do it safely matters.
How to use the manual release
The release is the red cord hanging from the trolley, the part that moves along the opener rail. Pulling it disconnects the door from the opener so it can move freely.
With the door fully closed, pull the cord down, toward the door, until you feel the trolley disengage. Then lift the door by the handle or the bottom section, in the middle, keeping fingers away from the joints between sections. A balanced door lifts with moderate effort and stays where you leave it.
When not to pull the release
Do not pull the release while the door is open, unless you are holding it and are sure it is balanced. If a spring is broken, a released door can drop straight down. Doors fail during outages more than you would expect, because the outage is often when a tired spring finally gets noticed.
If the door is open when the power fails, leave it where it is, or have two people hold it and lower it together. If it seems heavy, stop and call.
Door too heavy to lift in an outage? Do not force it. Call any hour.
Signs the door is not safe to lift
A door that is much heavier than you expect, one that will not stay open on its own, a gap in the spring above the door, or a cable hanging loose all mean the counterbalance has failed. Do not prop the door with a broom or ladder. Call, and if a car is trapped, tell us; the spring replacement page explains the repair.
Locking the door matters too. Many garage doors have a slide lock or a manual lock that is normally left open. When the opener is disengaged, the door is not held down by the trolley, so use the manual lock if you leave it closed and released.
Reconnecting the opener when power returns
Most openers reconnect automatically: run the opener and the trolley catches the door on its next cycle. Some need the release handle pulled toward the opener or a lever reset first; the opener's manual shows which. Slide any manual lock open before running the opener, or you will strain the motor.
After a long outage, run the door a few times and test the auto-reverse with a flat board under the door. Power surges when the grid comes back can damage logic boards, so watch for blinking lights or odd behavior.
Battery backup makes the next outage easier
Many current openers take a battery backup that runs the door for a limited number of cycles without power. It saves pulling the release at all, and it is the most useful feature to add when an opener is replaced. The opener installation page covers the options.
A backup battery ages like any other, so note when it was installed and test it once a year by unplugging the opener and running the door.
Questions readers ask
Power outage garage door questions
With the door fully closed, pull the red release cord on the opener trolley and lift the door by hand from the middle.
Not unless the door is held and balanced. With a broken spring, a released open door can drop.
A balanced door should lift with moderate effort. If it is very heavy, a spring has probably broken.
Usually by running the opener so the trolley catches the door. Some models need the release reset first.
They run a limited number of cycles, which is enough for most short and medium outages.
Yes. Use the manual lock, since the opener is not holding the door down.