Unbroken Garage Door Spring

How to Recognize Broken Garage Door Springs

If there’s one thing that we recommend you don’t try to fix on your own, it’s a broken garage door spring. Attempting garage door spring repair on your own could end in a trip to the emergency room because springs have the potential to cause extreme physical harm to the untrained homeowner. But broken garage door springs are also a repair you should not delay! If you continue to use a garage door operator with a broken spring, you risk damaging the top section of the door or burning out the motor. 

Below, learn the signs that you have a broken garage door spring and how to work quickly to get it fixed.

A Garage Door Spring’s Purpose

The garage door’s spring, or torsion spring, assists in the opening of the door by counterbalancing its weight. This means a spring’s combined force equals the weight of the door that it is helping to open. A garage door can weigh up to 250 pounds, which means a garage door spring is under A LOT of tension. If this tension is released suddenly, it could cause major harm to you or permanently damage other garage door parts. 

You can try to manually lift your door if the spring breaks, but you’ll find it’s quite heavy! We also do not recommend attempting to operate your garage door when it has a broken spring. Instead, leave everything as it is and call for garage door spring repair near you. 

Is My Garage Door Spring Broken?

It’s important to be on the lookout for signs that you have a broken garage door spring. If you notice any of the following issues, we recommend calling immediately for garage door spring repair or replacement. 

  • – Did you hear a big bang or popping noise from your garage? This could mean you have a broken garage door spring as the tension released suddenly and caused the spring to snap. 
  • – Does your garage door open a few inches then stop? This is a common safety feature of the garage door operator to stop the motor from burning out when the springs are broken.
  • – Do you see a gap between the coils of your torsion spring? This is the most straightforward way to identify a problem.
  • – Does your door slam shut in a quick, sudden motion? Remember that garage doors are heavy and without the spring, they have no help to close smoothly.
  • – Have you tried pulling the red rope hanging from your garage door opener and manually opening the door? If the door was too heavy to open manually, your garage door spring is probably broken.
  • – Do you see any pulleys or cables hanging down the side of the garage door tracks? A broken garage door spring can cause the cables to come loose from the door.
  • – Is your garage door opener still opening the door, but the door is coming up slowly or at an angle? This could mean your garage door uses a two-spring system and one of them is broken.

Broken Garage Door Spring

broken garage door spring

Correct Garage Door Spring

healthy new garage door spring

Let Us Deal with the Weight of the Issue! Call 405.579.3667

No matter what the problem is with your garage door, there is nothing we haven’t seen. Don’t try and fix a broken garage door spring yourself – we promise it’s not worth the risk. Instead, call Top Quality Doors! We will diagnose and fix your garage door problem in one appointment, fully restoring your garage door operation. We’ve seen it all when it comes to issues that arise from broken garage door springs, and we’re ready to provide a full replacement for you!

Sources: DDM Garage Doors, Family Handyman, Marvins Garage Doors

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