Your garage door is one of the largest and heaviest moving parts of your home. Although the garage door opener helps control its movement, the springs do most of the heavy lifting.
When a garage door spring breaks, your door may suddenly become extremely heavy, difficult to open, or completely unusable. Recognizing the warning signs can help you avoid further damage to your garage door, opener, cables, and other components.
Here are the most common signs that your garage door spring may be broken.
1. You Heard a Loud Bang From the Garage
A loud bang or popping sound is one of the most recognizable signs of a broken garage door spring.
Garage door springs are held under significant tension. When one breaks, the stored energy is released suddenly and can create a noise that sounds like something fell, exploded, or hit the garage door.
You may hear the sound even when no one is using the door. If you hear a loud bang from your garage and cannot find another cause, inspect the garage door spring from a safe distance.
2. The Garage Door Will Not Open
A broken spring can make your garage door too heavy for the opener to lift.
You may press the remote and hear the garage door opener running, but the door may:
- Remain completely closed
- Move only a few inches
- Begin opening and then stop
- Close again immediately
- Struggle or shake while attempting to move
This does not always mean that the opener itself is broken. The opener may be working correctly but unable to lift the weight of the door without help from the springs.
Continuing to operate the door could damage the opener, so stop using it and schedule a professional inspection.
3. The Door Feels Extremely Heavy
A properly functioning garage door should feel relatively balanced when operated manually. The springs counterbalance the weight of the door, making it easier to raise and lower.
When a spring breaks, the full weight of the garage door is no longer properly supported. Depending on the size and material of the door, it may weigh several hundred pounds.
Do not attempt to lift a heavy garage door by yourself. You could injure your back, hands, shoulders, or feet, and the door could fall unexpectedly.
4. You Can See a Gap in the Spring
Many residential garage doors use a torsion spring located above the door opening.
When a torsion spring breaks, you may notice a visible gap in the spring. Instead of appearing as one continuous coil, the spring may be separated into two sections.
Do not touch the spring, cables, drums, or brackets. Even when one spring is visibly broken, other components may still be under dangerous tension.
5. The Garage Door Looks Crooked or Uneven
Some garage doors use two springs. If one spring breaks while the other remains intact, the door may lift unevenly.
You may notice that:
- One side of the door is higher than the other
- The door appears crooked in the tracks
- One side moves while the other side remains in place
- The door becomes stuck partway open
- The rollers begin pulling against the tracks
Stop operating the door if it looks uneven. Continuing to use it could damage the tracks, rollers, cables, panels, or garage door opener.
6. The Cables Look Loose or Disconnected
When a garage door spring breaks, the lifting cables may become loose, tangled, or disconnected.
You may see cables hanging beside the door or lying near the floor. Although the cable may appear to be the problem, a broken spring is often the underlying cause.
Never attempt to rewind, reconnect, or adjust a garage door cable yourself. Garage door cables work with high-tension springs and can cause serious injury if handled incorrectly.
7. The Door Opens a Few Inches and Stops
If your garage door opens approximately six inches and then stops, the opener may be sensing that the door is too heavy to lift.
This is a common symptom of a broken spring. The opener begins its normal cycle but cannot overcome the weight of the unsupported garage door.
Repeatedly pressing the remote will not solve the problem and may place additional strain on the opener.
8. The Top Section of the Door Bends
When an opener attempts to lift a garage door with a broken spring, the top panel may bend or flex.
The opener pulls from the top section of the door. Without proper spring assistance, too much force may be concentrated in that area. Over time, this can damage the panel or reinforcement strut.
If the top of your garage door bends when you try to open it, stop using the opener and call a garage door professional.
9. The Garage Door Falls Quickly When Closing
Garage door springs help control the door as it opens and closes. When a spring is broken or severely worn, the door may close faster than normal or fall toward the floor.
A rapidly closing garage door is a serious safety concern for people, pets, vehicles, and belongings.
Do not stand beneath the door or attempt to catch it. Keep children and pets away from the area until the door has been inspected.
Can You Still Use a Garage Door With a Broken Spring?
You should avoid operating a garage door with a broken spring.
Trying to use the door can place excessive stress on the garage door opener and may cause additional damage to the:
- Cables
- Rollers
- Tracks
- Hinges
- Panels
- Drums
- Opener motor and gears
If your vehicle is trapped inside the garage, contact a professional garage door technician. A trained technician can safely assess the door and determine the best way to access the vehicle.
Can You Replace a Garage Door Spring Yourself?
Garage door spring replacement should be handled by a trained and properly equipped professional.
Springs are installed under extreme tension. Attempting to remove, wind, adjust, or replace one without the appropriate tools and experience can cause severe injury or property damage.
A professional technician can also identify the correct spring size for your door. Installing the wrong spring can cause the door to become unbalanced and may shorten the life of your garage door opener and other components.
Should Both Garage Door Springs Be Replaced?
If your garage door uses two springs and one breaks, a technician may recommend replacing both.
Garage door springs are generally installed at the same time and experience a similar number of opening and closing cycles. When one reaches the end of its lifespan, the second spring may not be far behind.
Replacing both springs at once can help keep the door balanced and reduce the likelihood of needing another service visit soon afterward. Your technician can inspect both springs and explain the best option for your specific garage door.
What Causes Garage Door Springs to Break?
Garage door springs do not last forever. Common causes of spring failure include:
Normal Wear and Tear
Every time the garage door opens and closes, the springs complete a cycle. After thousands of cycles, the metal can weaken and eventually break.
Rust and Corrosion
Moisture and corrosion can weaken the spring and increase friction between the coils.
Improper Spring Size
A spring that is not correctly matched to the weight and size of the garage door may wear out prematurely.
Lack of Maintenance
Regular garage door inspections and maintenance can help identify worn springs, loose hardware, damaged rollers, and other problems before they lead to a larger repair.
Call Georgia Garage for Garage Door Spring Repair
A broken garage door spring can prevent you from leaving your home, create a safety hazard, and place unnecessary strain on the rest of your garage door system.
Georgia Garage repairs torsion springs, extension springs, cables, rollers, openers, panels, and other residential garage door components. Our experienced technicians can inspect your door, explain the problem, and recommend the appropriate repair without high-pressure sales tactics.
We proudly serve homeowners throughout North Georgia and the northern Metro Atlanta area, including Cartersville and surrounding communities.
If you heard a loud bang, noticed a gap in your spring, or cannot get your garage door to open, stop operating the door and contact Georgia Garage.
Call Georgia Garage today at 678-719-9950 to schedule garage door spring repair.
If your door’s jerkin’, we’ll get it workin’!™