Automatic garage doors are one of the luxuries of the modern lifestyle. These doors do not need a lot of effort to close, open, or manage. Instead, they work on commands. This is due to the motorized door openers. However, sometimes the automatic system can fail and the doors will not take any command. In this case, one should be aware of how to manually close the garage door from inside and outside.
In relation to the overhead door, it can easily be closed with the touch of a button. Some garage door openers such as Chamberlain and LiftMaster offer Wi-Fi connectivity so that the garage owner can manage the doors from his phone only. However, for closing them manually, unplugging their systems, carefully lifting the doors, and securely locking them are required, depending on the type.
When to Close a Garage Door Manually?
With automatic garage doors, a power cut or outage is the primary reason that they get stuck. Along with this, dead batteries or malfunctioning is yet another cause that they cannot close. In some cases, all mechanical components work fine. Still, the doors may become stuck. These are a few instances when you can attempt to manually close the garage door.
How to Manually Close Garage Door from Inside?
When the automatic system is not working, you may want to close the garage door from the inside. This will require you to disconnect or unplug a few parts.
You will need to follow the tips discussed below to properly do so:
- Unplug the Door Opener: Whether it is a power cut or not, you are advised to unplug the door opener first. This is an important safety measure you should take to ensure that no one will be hurt if the garage motor acts suddenly.
- Disconnect the Door from the Opener:
- In the automatic system, you will see a red cord.
- Pull it to disconnect the door from the system.
- It may also make a sound when you pull it so be extra attentive while doing so.
- Gently/Carefully Lift the Garage Door:
- When you successfully and safely disconnect the system, you should try to lift the garage door.
- Indeed, the garage doors are heavy but with well-functional springs, you can easily close or lift them.
- You are advised not to use excessive force to shut it if something is wrong. Rather, contact an expert to manually close the electric garage door.
- Secure the Garage Door:
- Once you shut the door, stay for a while to see whether it is securely closed or not.
- In case it opens again, it means that it may have a broken pulley or spring.
- In this situation, you must call garage door repair professionals to completely fix the issue.
How to Close Garage Door Manually from Outside?
Having access to the garage inside the home is not unusual. However, some individuals own a garage detached from the main building. In this case, closing the garage door from the outside is the only option.
To do this manually, you must keep the following in mind:
- Unlock the “Emergency” Release:
- A garage door has small keyholes. You can locate the same on or around the top.
- Here, you will find the release cable to deal with unexpected events.
- You can further use the relevant key to get the cable by unlocking it.
- Once you get it, carefully pull the cord to close the garage door manually.
- Unlock Garage Doors: On the door’s bottom, you will find one more lock. It is responsible for keeping the doors shut. So, use the key provided by the company to unlock it before attempting manual closing.
- Lift the Garage Door: Once you unlock the garage doors, drag the door towards the floor. While doing this, make sure that the spring is not broken. If you try to close the door with a broken spring, then it can result in unpleasant events. Also, do not use excessive force to close it as it can damage the doors.
- Secure the Doors: After parking the car and coming outside the garage, close the automatic doors by applying manual effort. Make sure that they are securely closed and do not open after the first attempt. For this, wait for a while.
What is the Way to Lock the Garage Doors After Manually Closing/Opening them?
When you attempt to close a garage door manually, it will get disconnected from the automatic opener. If it was not working due to a power cut, then you will need to go for the other modes to lock the garage door until the power supply securely gets normal. Assuming that the power cut is for a longer period, use a C-clamp to securely shut the garage doors.
Once the electricity is available, just arrange the garage’s automatic door opener again. This is essential to let the door close on its own every time you open it. To do so, below are the steps you will have to follow:
- Close the Garage Door:
- Once you open the garage doors manually, you will need to bring them in the shut position.
- After this, rearrange the door motor safely.
- Pull Down the Emergency Cord:
- Now, pull the emergency cable. This will help you bring the trolley down or in the “connected” position.
- In case there is an issue with it, you can call an expert company to offer the necessary support and assistance.
- Trolley Reconnecting:
- For reconnecting the trolley, there are different methods.
- First, manually move garage doors until they come into the actual position.
- When the door opener is in fine condition, reconnect the trolley through the remote. This is an easy way to connect the trolley with the attachment points again.
- While doing so, a “clicking” sound is produced. Hear it carefully to ensure that the trolley gets successfully reconnected.
In case the door is not working or closing, the safest and smartest thing to do is contact Garage Door Repair Group, a prominent service provider. It will help you know how to close garage doors manually from the outside/inside and implement adequate techniques for proper functioning.
