1. Stay Calm and Check for Obvious Safety Issues
Before touching anything, make sure the area is safe.
✔️ No children or pets near the door
✔️ Nothing caught between the tracks
✔️ No broken or dangling cables
✔️ No visible spring damage (coil separation, gaps, or hanging steel)
If any of these issues are present, do NOT attempt to force the door open. Broken springs and cables are extremely dangerous and should only be repaired by a trained technician.
2. Make Sure Your Opener Has Power
Many “stuck inside the garage” scenarios are simply caused by a power issue.
Check the following:
- Is the garage door opener plugged in?
- Has a breaker tripped?
- Are the lights on your opener working?
- Did a recent power outage reset the system?
If power is the issue, restore it and try operating the opener again.
3. Try the Wall Button (Not Just the Remote)
Remotes die, lose connection, or malfunction. Press the wall-mounted control panel to rule out remote failure.
If the opener works from the wall but not the remote, you likely need:
- New batteries
- Reprogramming the remote
- A replacement remote
- A range extender if your opener antenna is weak
4. Check Your Garage Door Sensors
Misaligned or dirty safety sensors are one of the top reasons a door won’t close or open.
Verify:
- Both sensors have solid lights
- Nothing is blocking the beam
- The sensors are not covered in dust
- They’re facing each other evenly
Even a slight bump can knock sensors out of alignment and stop the door from moving.
5. Inspect the Manual Release (But Use With Caution)
Every garage door opener has a manual release cord, usually a red rope hanging from the opener rail.
This cord disconnects the door from the opener so you can open it manually.
Important: Only use the manual release if:
- The door is fully closed, or
- You’re sure the springs and cables are NOT broken
If the door is open even a few inches and you pull the cord, the door can slam down with full weight – a major safety risk.
How to Use It Safely:
- Ensure the door is in the down position
- Pull the red cord straight down to disengage
- Lift the door manually using both hands
- If the door feels extremely heavy, stop immediately — that means your spring is broken
- Once outside, you can re-engage the opener by pulling the cord again toward the opener motor
How to Manually Open a Garage Door When the Power is Out
This video shows the correct and safe way to use the manual release cord.
6. Look for Physical Obstructions in the Tracks
Sometimes the door won’t move because something is stuck inside the track:
- Tools
- Brooms
- Bikes
- Outdoor equipment
- Hardened debris or ice
Remove anything blocking the rollers, but don’t attempt to bend or adjust tracks yourself.
7. Listen for the Motor’s Response
What the opener sounds like can tell you a lot about what’s wrong:
- Motor hums but nothing moves → Possible broken gear or disconnected trolley
- Rapid clicking → Sensor problem
- Grinding or scraping → Damaged rollers or track issue
- Silence → Power, wiring, or opener failure
If the opener is straining or grinding, stop using it – continuing to run it can cause more damage.
8. If You Can Get Out Safely, Don’t Force It
Trying to force a heavy garage door open when springs or cables are damaged can cause:
- Serious injury
- Door collapse
- Opener burnout
- Additional track damage
If the door refuses to move, there’s a mechanical issue that needs a professional fix.
9. Call a Professional Garage Door Technician
If you’ve gone through the steps above and the door still isn’t opening, it’s time for expert help. A stuck garage door is often caused by:
- Broken springs
- Snapped cables
- Bent tracks
- Worn-out opener gears
- Disconnected trolleys
- Motor failure
A trained technician can diagnose the problem quickly and safely – and in most cases, get your door open the same day.
If you’re in King, Pierce, or Snohomish County, our team at Next Door Garage Door Service can usually arrive within 20-60 minutes to get you out and get your door working again.
