Knowing the signs of a broken garage door spring can save you from a stuck car, a damaged opener, or a serious injury. Springs do the heavy lifting on your garage door. When one fails, the door can weigh 150 pounds or more, and the opener is not built to lift that weight on its own.
Here is what to look for, what to avoid, and what happens when you call Bo.
1. You heard a loud bang in the garage
Torsion springs are wound under high tension. When one snaps, it often sounds like a gunshot or a firecracker. Many homeowners hear it and only find the problem later when the door will not open.
2. There is a gap in the spring above the door
Look at the spring on the bar above your door. A broken torsion spring usually shows a clear 2 to 3 inch gap where the coil separated. This is the most reliable of all the signs of a broken garage door spring.
3. The door will not lift, or only lifts a few inches
Your opener may hum, strain, or lift the door a few inches and stop. Many openers reverse automatically when they sense too much weight. That is a safety feature doing its job, not an opener failure.
4. The door feels extremely heavy
With the opener disconnected, a balanced door should stay put about halfway up. If the door feels like dead weight or slams down, the springs are not doing their job.
5. The door goes up crooked
On doors with two springs, one broken spring makes the door lift unevenly. You may see one side rise faster than the other or hear it bind in the track.
6. Cables are loose or hanging
Lift cables stay tight because of spring tension. A slack or dangling cable is often a sign the spring behind it has failed.
7. The door closes too fast
If the door drops quickly at the end of its travel, the springs may be worn out or broken. A worn spring is a warning that a full break is coming.
What not to do
- Do not keep running the opener. It can burn out the motor or strip the gear.
- Do not try to lift the door by hand. Without spring help, it is much heavier than it looks.
- Do not adjust or replace springs yourself. Torsion springs store enough energy to cause serious injuries. This is a job for a trained technician.
How long do garage door springs last?
Most standard torsion springs are rated for about 10,000 open and close cycles. For a household that uses the door four times a day, that works out to roughly seven years. Busy households, heavy doors, and Kentucky temperature swings can shorten that. If one spring on a two-spring door breaks, the other is usually close behind, so replacing both at once often saves a second service call.
What happens when you call Bo
Bo Knows Garage Doors handles garage door spring repair in Lexington KY and across Central Kentucky, usually the same day. Bo checks the door, matches the correct spring size and wire to your door’s weight, replaces the spring, and balances and tests the system before he leaves. You get a clear price before any work starts.
Spotted any of these signs of a broken garage door spring? Call or text Bo at (606) 669-1765 or request a free estimate. A photo of the spring above your door helps him quote faster.