What Is a Garage Door Emergency Cord?

A garage door emergency cord is an extra safety measure that most people do not consider. However, it can be a lifesaver. This safety feature allows you to leave the garage when it malfunctions or the power is off. While you should never use it regularly, it is good to have it in case of an emergency. Below is all you need to know about a garage door emergency cord. 

What is a garage door emergency cord? 

A garage door emergency cord is a rope that hangs down from the door’s trolley. It is red and will have a handle at the base. Mostly, it falls within reach of a stretched arm, but sometimes you may need a stool to reach the handle. The cord disconnects the carriage from the trolley so the door slides along the railing. In short, you can lift the garage door manually with ease using the release cord.  

How to use the garage door emergency cord? 

Knowing how to release and reset the garage door emergency cord helps when a garage door causes problems. Here is how to use one.

Make sure the door is in the down position  

Before you pull the garage door’s cord, it is essential to ensure that the door is down. Is your garage door stuck in an upward position? You should immediately contact a reliable company for emergency garage door service. Do not attempt to fix the door by yourself in such situations. 

Remember that it is dangerous to pull the emergency cord if the garage door is up. The door could have a broken garage door spring. Pulling the cord while the garage door is up could send the garage door’s total weight crashing down. Moreover, it may cause damage to the garage door itself. 

Pull the release cord 

Release the emergency release cord to disconnect the trolley through the opener carriage’s attachment point. That will let the door freely slide along the rail, and you can manually open and close it.

Open and close the door manually 

After pulling the release cord, open and close the garage door manually to know whether it works as expected. You can repeat the opening and closing of the door a couple of times. Make sure the garage door is in its closed position before you try to reset the cord.

Pull the garage door emergency cord down

The trolley has two positions – one is connected, and the second is disconnected. Therefore, you must achieve a secured position before resetting the door. You can pull the emergency release cord downwards and away from the motor for that purpose.

Reset the garage door

Resetting the garage door is a simple process. All you should do is unplug the opener from its outlet and wait a few minutes. Then, you can plug it back and check whether the garage door problem is fixed. You should immediately hire an emergency garage door repair company if the problem persists. There could be different reasons for a garage door system’s failure, and a local garage door company can fix it quickly. 

Reconnect the trolley

You can reconnect the trolley to the opener carriage in two ways. The first way is to do it manually. Put the emergency cord spring lever in the connected position and slide the door till the attachment point is re-engaged. 

You can reconnect the trolley automatically using the remote for the garage door as well. Press the option in the remote and operate the motor so that the opener carriage will reconnect with the trolley through the attachment point. While the attachment point reconnects, it will produce a loud click. The sound is made when you reconnect the trolley both manually and automatically. 

By now, the garage door emergency cord should be back in the same position as before. However, if you have any further problems, it is best to seek assistance from professional garage door technicians.

Garage Door Service Near Me

Titan Garage Doors NE is the leading garage door repair and installation service provider in the Omaha region. We offer a wide range of products and services to meet your needs, including emergency release cord repair. Our technicians are experienced and certified to provide you with the best possible service. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.