What Is a Garage Door Emergency Cord?

Are you familiar with how to operate the garage door emergency cord?  Your garage door is an important part of your home; it keeps your car safe and sheltered from the elements. But occasionally, you might need to open the garage door manually. It could be due to power outages, broken parts, or other issues. But first, it is essential to understand how to open your garage door manually.

In case of emergencies, you can use the emergency cord if the door is not opening. It allows you to manually operate the door to get your car out and call a technician for repairs. Here is everything you need to know about using a garage door emergency cord.

What Is a Garage Door Emergency Cord?

The garage door emergency cord is an essential safety feature in any home with an automatic garage door. This cord is usually red. It hangs down from the door’s trolley and can be easily reached. Pulling on the cord disconnects the carriage from the trolley, allowing the door to be opened manually. It comes in handy in cases of power outages or other emergencies.

How to Operate the Garage Door Emergency Cord?

Before pulling the emergency release cord, ensure the garage door is closed. Otherwise, the door may slam shut and cause injury or damage. A garage door with broken or worn springs is risky and may cause a serious accident.

Pull the Release Cord

You can use the red rope to release the door trolley in an emergency. The door trolley is also connected to the garage door opener carriage. The carriage is a mechanism that helps the door move along smoothly on its track. Once you have disconnected the trolley from the opener carriage, you can manually open and close your door.

Set the Garage Door Back in the Closed Position

The door should be put back in the down position when ready to engage the automatic opener. It will help ensure that everything is working properly and prevent any accidents.

Pull the Release Cord in the Direction of the Door.

Different trolleys have different emergency release cords. Additionally, some trolleys feature a cord that can be connected or disconnected, which changes where the spring lever is located.

To know whether the spring lever is extended or not, check its position. An extended lever means it is disconnected. A compressed one indicates that the opener carriage needs to be engaged. Pull the emergency release cord down and towards the door to re-engage the cord.

Re-engaging the Trolley

To reconnect the trolley to the opener carriage, you can do it manually or use the emergency cord spring lever. For the manual method, slide the door until the attachment point is re-engaged. However, note that this may take some time and effort.

You can also use the remote for your garage door to reconnect the trolley automatically. Press the button on the remote, and the motor will connect the opener carriage with the trolley at the attachment point. There will be a noticeable click when they connect. Whether connecting manually or automatically, you will hear this sound. 

Garage Door Repair Near Me

Contact the experienced professionals at Titan Garage Doors Quad Cities for emergency garage door service. We are one of the top-rated garage door companies with over 15 years of industry experience. We offer various garage door services and repairs for residential and commercial properties. Additionally, our 24-hour garage door service means you will get prompt assistance whenever you have an issue with your garage door. So call us today for emergency garage door service and free estimates.