Power outages can create a host of issues for a homeowner. From food spoiling in the fridge, to inoperable heating and cooling, to the dreaded “no wi-fi signal”, electricity is easy to miss once it’s gone. Sometimes, prolonged outages may even make it necessary to leave your house until power is restored. But what if the car you need is parked insidethe garage? No working electricity means no working automatic garage door opener.

No Wi-Fi?!?

Luckily there’s a pretty simple solution. Modern garage doors all come with a special release cord designed to help with just this situation. Look for a cord hanging down from the middle of the closed garage door. It often has a red handle and may say ‘emergency’ or ‘release’ on it somewhere. Be sure the garage door is fully closed, then pull down on the release cord to disconnect the garage door from the door opener. Now you should be able to simply lift your garage door manually by using the handles near the base. Use caution, as without the automatic opener the door is no longer secure. Make sure the door will remain fully open before leaving it unattended. Once power has been restored, simply re-attach the door to the opener and you’re back in business! 

Handy Tip: If you want to prevent this from being an issue all together, look for a garage door opener with a built in battery back-up!