A power outage can be one of the most trying and uncomfortable moments in a generation where nearly everything is powered by electricity. One of the most common events associated with power outages is the inability to work your garage door during and after the power outage. Many garage doors are fitted with safety mechanisms that help prevent a power outage’s adverse effects.
Such mechanisms make using them during power outages a simple process, as you shall soon see. Others aren’t quite the same since you might need resetting to either pull the door down or up after a power outage. Regardless of your door type, knowing how to operate and reset them amid a power outage is integral.
Safety Precautions Before Resetting
Before thinking about how to reset a garage door after a power outage, it is crucial to first put in place some safety precautions to avoid any injuries during the process. Ordinarily, garage doors are hefty and might cause injuries if handled carelessly. Before resetting a garage door after power outages, you should ensure that no one is around the garage door during the process. The same goes for you as the person handling the task. Ensure that you are a distance away from the door before trying to tinker with it.
As you start resetting a garage door, ensure you have turned off the power to the building to avoid any electricity mishaps. Since most garage doors are powered by electricity, resetting them can expose you to at risk of electrocution, especially if you are not trained for the task.
Considering that you have no electricity in the garage, you might need a flashlight to help you navigate the garage as you try to reset the garage door. It will also be a good idea to get assistance from a friend or family member to help you hold the flashlight and any other form of assistance you might need.
Finally, before attempting to reset a garage door, it is wise to ensure it is in a down position, as resetting it could make it slip to the ground. You don’t need anyone to tell you that if the garage door slips with anyone around it, the results could be disastrous for them.
Resetting The Door Manually
Once you are confident that all the safety precautions have been met, you can proceed with the manual resetting process. To manually reset a garage door after a power outage, you should first pull the emergency release mechanism often put in automatic doors for such events. In many garage doors, you can spot the emergency release mechanism from the red band or rope attached to the door.
Once you pull this emergency release mechanism, you can easily remove the door from its fixed position and open it as you anticipate assistance from qualified technical assistance personnel. The release mechanism will allow the door to open, especially when you would be late for work and need to open the garage door while waiting for help.
Reconnecting The Automatic Operation System
If you are fortunate enough that the power outage has not caused any lasting damage to your door, then reconnecting the automatic operation system can be simple once you regain the electricity connection.
To do so, first, ensure that your door is firmly shut. If the door is completely shut, the components of the automatic operation system can easily slip back into action upon reconnection to electricity. If this does not happen automatically, you might need further technical assistance to resolve the problem.
Possible Problems And How To Avoid Them
When resetting your garage door after power outages, you may experience a common problem where pulling the emergency release mechanism does not automatically trigger the manual functioning of the door. You will notice this when the door appears too heavy to pull down or open, yet the trigger mechanism has been released.
If this happens, you might be facing a problem associated with the springs of the door, which may have become faulty during the power outage. Your best bet, once this occurs, is to seek immediate assistance from your regular service personnel to avoid causing further damage.
Another possible problem could involve your door not going into the full down position when you want to start resetting it. This could happen when the springs that help keep the door in position are faulty. Such mechanical problems can be challenging to fix from a DIY point of view. Therefore, you will need expert assistance to get things back on track.
Wrapping Up
A power outage affecting your garage door can be stressful for many people who rely on electricity to run various devices and appliances in the house. Such a door might put a snag on your day, keep you from driving to work, or force you to leave your car on the driveway. People who rely on their cars for daily use may be frustrated when such events occur.
If you ever find yourself in such a situation, the best thing you should do is relax and follow the instructions above. Panicking might make you make mistakes which might cause extensive damage to your door. As always, if you reach a difficulty, seek a professional service provider to give you the assistance you need.
Author Bio :
Jessica is a content specialist in health and wellness niche from last 5 years. Apart from witing she loves to travel and read books.She also have worked with Elite Garage Door & Gate Repair .