5 Signs Your Garage Door Spring Is Broken or About to Break

Garage door springs do the heavy lifting every time your door opens. They are also the part most likely to fail without much warning. Knowing the signs can save you from being stuck with your car trapped inside.

1. You Heard a Loud Bang From the Garage

A torsion spring that breaks makes a sharp, loud snap, often described as sounding like a gunshot. If you heard that and the door now will not lift, the spring has almost certainly broken.

2. The Door Feels Very Heavy

A properly balanced door feels fairly light when lifted by hand with the opener disconnected. If it suddenly feels like you are lifting the full weight of the door, the springs are no longer doing their job.

3. The Opener Strains or Only Lifts a Few Inches

Openers are not designed to lift the full weight of a door. If the opener hums, struggles, or stops after lifting the door a few inches, a weak or broken spring is the likely cause. Stop using the opener to avoid damaging it.

4. You Can See a Gap in the Spring

Look at the torsion spring on the bar above the door. A broken spring will have a visible gap of a few inches between the coils. Extension springs on the sides may look stretched or hang loose.

5. The Door Is Crooked or Closes Too Fast

On doors with two springs, one broken spring can leave the door uneven. A door that slams shut or drops quickly also points to a spring problem.

Why Springs Break

Every spring is rated for a certain number of open and close cycles. Busy households hit that number sooner. Here on the coast, rust from salt air and humidity also weakens springs. Regular lubrication helps them last.

What to Do Next

• Do not keep running the opener
• Do not try to lift the door or adjust the spring yourself
• Keep people and pets away from the door
• Call a garage door professional

A&A Garage Door Solutions replaces broken springs throughout Murrells Inlet, Myrtle Beach, Conway, Pawleys Island and nearby areas. See our garage door spring repair page, and check our current deals for a spring repair coupon.