Garage door springs do the heavy lifting. A typical two-car door can weigh well over 150 pounds, and the springs counterbalance that weight so the opener and your arms do not have to. When a spring breaks, the door suddenly becomes dangerous to operate. Here is how to tell, and what to do next.
6 signs your garage door spring is broken
- A loud bang from the garage. Torsion springs store a lot of tension, and when one snaps it often sounds like a gunshot or a firecracker.
- A visible gap in the spring. Look at the spring on the bar above the door. A break leaves a clear 1 to 2 inch gap between coils.
- The door feels extremely heavy. With working springs, a door lifts by hand with little effort. With a broken spring it can feel like it weighs a ton.
- The opener strains or stops after a few inches. Many openers sense the extra load and quit, or the door rises a few inches and reverses.
- The door opens crooked. On doors with two springs, one broken spring can make one side rise faster than the other.
- Loose or hanging cables. When tension is lost, the lift cables often slip off their drums and dangle at the sides of the door.
What to do (and what not to do)
- Do not keep pressing the opener button. Running an opener against a door with a broken spring can strip its gears or burn out the motor.
- Do not pull the red emergency release while the door is open. Without spring tension the door can drop fast.
- Keep kids, pets and cars clear of the door.
- If your car is stuck inside, call a technician before trying to force the door up.
- Do not try to replace or adjust a torsion spring yourself. The stored tension can cause serious injury, which is why spring work is best left to trained technicians with the proper winding tools.
Repair tips that save money long term
If your door has two springs and only one broke, replacing both at the same time is usually the smarter move, because the second spring has the same age and wear and will often fail soon after. It is also a good time to check cables, rollers and bearings, since they take extra stress when a spring fails.
Learn more about our garage door spring repair service, or see the full list of garage door repairs we handle.
Need help now? Call All In One Garage Doors at (832) 434-7291 for garage door and gate service across Houston, Friendswood, Pearland, League City, Pasadena, Sugar Land, Katy and the surrounding cities.