Troubleshooting Guide: Broken Garage Door Springs

Your garage door springs do a lot of work in their lifetime. As doors open and close, they stretch, sometimes staying in a fully stretched position. They should be strong enough to withstand the tension, but to maintain a garage door in good working order, they will need to be replaced from time to time. Our guide will help you identify when that time is and what to do about it.

Warning: Do not attempt to replace springs on your own or any other type of potentially dangerous DIY work on your garage door. Although it may look easy to replace, the spring could unload with great force and cause serious injury. Always leave the job to professionals.

What do garage door springs do?

Garage door springs are large, heavy-duty springs that make it easy for doors to be lifted by counteracting the force of gravity for a simple lift, either manually or automatically with a motor.

Why types of springs are there?

There are two main types of garage door springs.

Torsion Springs are often found above the garage door unless it is in an older home that may have limited headspace in which case they may be found at the back of the garage.

They work by twisting to load. When the door closes, cables from the bottom corners pull on the end of a metal rod where the springs are attached. The metal rods twist and create tension that is released when the door is opened.

The next type are Extension Springs. They are longer and lighter in weight than the torsion springs. Unlike torsion rods though, they are not attached to a metal rod and therefore need a safety cable running through them in case of breakage. Without it, the damage and injuries it can cause can be great.

How do I know when a spring is broken?

Many don’t even know there is a problem until their garage door suddenly won’t budge or the garage door opener is having difficulty opening the door. Because springs usually break when they are sprung, or fully-loaded, then you may hear it breaking as it sounds like a thunderous crack, but the obvious sign of a broken spring is the heaviness of the door.

Broken Sectional Garage Door Spring: BEFORE

New Sectional Garage Door Spring: AFTER

What to do if you suspect a broken spring

Never disconnect the garage door opener from the actual door by pulling the red emergency cord if the door is open.

This will cause the door to come crashing down and can be extremely dangerous.

Block each door track and unplug the garage door opener so nobody else can come along and pull the cord as well. Do not try to use the door as you can cause further damage. Although a broken spring is common and easy to fix, trying to operate the door with one can have detrimental effects.

Once the door is secure, call the experts at Doors Direct to replace the spring. Never try to replace the spring yourself. If it is loaded, it can detach and cause serious injury. Trust the experts who have the skills and knowledge required for the safe handling of broken springs and replacing new ones.

Regular maintenance is essential

While springs are known to break as they suffer a lot of wear and tear, there are things you can do to prolong your garage door and its mechanisms.

Keep springs lubricated, and use an old toothbrush to get into the crevices. Perform visual checks monthly to see that everything looks normal and schedule annual maintenance checks with Doors Direct.

In the meantime, if something were to go wrong, we provide a garage door service that will get you back up and running again. If you suspect the springs on your garage door are broken or on their way out, then contact Doors Direct for advice, especially if you are unsure of what the problem is.

We are experts in garage door repairs of all types and have standard springs in stock ready for a quick replacement.

Find out more about our garage door spring repair and contact us for more information.

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