My garage has no windows and the only way in is through the car port door. The door was never automated till this week when I put in a new Genie opener. The opener has a cord that disengages the mechanics in case of emergency. What I just realized is that if the power goes out or something happens to the motor, I won't be able to get inside the garage (to pull the disconnect cord) since there is only ONE way in. Has anyone faced this and came up with workaround?
Thanks Mark
No offense but it seems totally assinine to me that you don't have a walk door into the garage. Workaround? Ideally you could install a walk door, or leave someone in the garage 24/7 in case they're ever needed to manually open the door.
Standard item, an external emergency release:
Install a garage door with glass windows so you can break one to pull the cord. That's probably the CHEAPEST solution.
We had a detached garage in our condo that only had access through teh garage door. The solution here is to install a wire device that attached to the pull-down. Once attached, a hole must be drilled into the door and a key device is used to hold it in place. Any company that installs gargage doors and/or openers should be able to direct you. We had ours 20 years ago.
Sandy K.
Uh,....how about one of those "star trek" transporter thingies. ?
You could always jury rig some sort of rube goldberg pulley system to have a second "release" and tuck it in a hidden spot outside the door/eaves etc. putting it up high, may give you some ??? security, unless of course you keep your ladder in the garage too.
AMUN
Nowadays UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supplies) units are quite cheap, and alot lighter than they used to be..... Why not plug the opener into one of those, and then into the power... I'm sure even the smallest one would be able to provide enough power for a few openings and closings... And then when you open it the first time after a power failure, you could disengage the unit. But actually best bet is exactly what another user already pointed out, which is the emergency release kit which is made by Genie anyhow... This way it doesn't only cover power failures, but also any other failures of the opener, like springs breaks, chair/belt/screw jams/breaks... etc... Or you can do like my neighbour did quite a few years ago, and get a garage door, which has a normal door cut out in it, and secured by a normal deadbolt... :) Don't know if they are made anymore, r custom job is needed, but it's pretty neat....
Do a google search for garage door emergency external key release.
The best work around for the problem though... go in through the front door, and open it from inside the house. The key release does work, but They're not the most secure things ever made.
Joe
Not funny at all. Though your description is, carports do not have a garage door.
Some manufactures are putting UPS in the control heads now because of such problems.
Might be time to think about cutting another door in one of the walls.
There exists a product that will release the door from the attached arm via a key from the outside. Instead of disengaging the carriage at the track, it'll disengage the door from the carriage. A little less elegent, but much cheaper than installing a people-door, sally port, or breakable glass. Not sure of the name of this product, but any garage door installer will have it as an option for detached garages.
Chris
I confused the situation to mean that it was a built in carport, with a garage door added on later, including a entry door to the house. So my other recomendation still stands... a keyed emergency release system like most others suggested. (even though a crook can get into the garage in less than a minute, with a flat-blade screwdriver)
When a keyed release or "ups" is used there's also the problems concerning a thrown cable, a broken spring, or a rake wedged between the track and hinge...
Put a swing door in there, and avoid all of the trouble that will be had in 10 years.
Uh, I'm assuming when he says "the only way in is through the [garage] door", he means exactly that.
My brother had this scenario in his old house. Attached garage, but oddly no access from the house, and no walk-through door. It had one of those emergency lock-out things and it worked fine (basically it hooks to the trolly-release inside the garage, and you unlock it with a key and give it a tug).
A UPS is a good idea, but what do you do when the opener dies? You would definitely still want one of these emergency key things.
My brother eventually added an access door from the house. Sadly, it had to be in one of the bedrooms...
-Tim
Well...I had (still do) the same situation. My default in case of need was to break the little 3x3 window in the back...yep, it happened. Very frustrating as shorted wires to the outside light caused two fuses to blow, one in the basement and one in the garage. Still have to fix the window and am still debating the locking pull cord in the door thingy.
Harry K
Not offended. My garage FYI is build into a rock hill (like a cave). ONLY access is through an existing garage door. The garage door does not have a separate door built into it. (I did find a workaround. Genie actually sells a $20 kit that will release the latch from outside!).
Thanks Mark
Install a emergency release:
Several companies make such a release. Mine is from Stanley. Installed it when I installed the opener. Worked fine the couple of times I've had to use it. It requires one hole to be drilled in the door.
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