Broken Garage Door Spring
How do I know if my garage door spring is broken?
What is actually causing it
Most likely first, based on what our crews find on the call.
01Cycle life reached
Springs are rated in cycles — one open plus one close. A standard residential spring is commonly rated around 10,000 cycles, which is roughly seven years for a family that goes in and out four times a day, and about three years for a household that cycles the door twelve times a day. Nothing failed prematurely; the spring simply ran out. Replacement is a technician job: a wound torsion spring holds enough stored energy to kill, and winding bars are not a substitute for a screwdriver.
Do not attempt this yourself. It is under spring or cable load and it injures people every year — this one is a licensed-technician job.
02Visible gap in the torsion spring
Stand well clear, look at the shaft above the door, and check for a two-inch break in an otherwise continuous coil. That gap is a confirmed diagnosis. Looking is safe; touching is not.
Safe to check yourself, with the door closed and the opener unplugged.
03Loud bang from the garage with nothing obviously wrong
A spring failing sounds like a gunshot or a heavy pipe dropping. Homeowners routinely report the bang hours before they discover the door will not lift.
Safe to check yourself, with the door closed and the opener unplugged.
04Door feels enormously heavy by hand
A balanced door should hold position anywhere in its travel with one hand. If it slams down the moment you lift it, the counterbalance is gone. Once you know that, put it down and leave it down.
Do not attempt this yourself. It is under spring or cable load and it injures people every year — this one is a licensed-technician job.
05Rust and corrosion shortening spring life
Corroded coils bind against each other, and the added friction takes thousands of cycles off the rating. Galvanized or coated springs and an annual light oiling both help.
Do not attempt this yourself. It is under spring or cable load and it injures people every year — this one is a licensed-technician job.
06Undersized spring for the door
A spring specified for a lighter door than the one it is lifting fails early and repeatedly. If you are replacing springs every few years, the size is wrong, not the luck.
Do not attempt this yourself. It is under spring or cable load and it injures people every year — this one is a licensed-technician job.
Why this happens more in California
Two California conditions shorten spring life measurably. Along the coast, marine salt aerosol corrodes spring wire and lift cable faster than inland air does, and corroded coils bind. Inland, the Central Valley and desert cycle a garage between very cold winter mornings and 110 °F-plus summer afternoons, and the repeated thermal cycling of a highly stressed steel coil is not free. Both argue for galvanized springs and a genuine annual inspection rather than the cheapest spring on the truck.
Need this fixed today?
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Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my garage door spring is broken?
Is this safe for me to fix myself?
How much will the repair cost?
Are you licensed?
Describe the noise. We will tell you what broke.
Most calls are diagnosed in under two minutes, with a price range before anyone drives out.
CA-GARAGEDOOR California — California contractor licence CSLB #1098234. Licensed, bonded and insured. 1-year parts & labor.