Broken Garage Door Spring? Signs, Dangers, and What to Do Next

Garage door springs are the tiresome workhorses that make heavy doors feel light. In Orange County and elsewhere, garage door springs are often thought of only when the springs fail, and subsequently lose their ability to balance the weight of the garage door. A typical overhead door weighs hundreds of pounds, and without spring assistance it would be nearly impossible to lift. In homes and businesses, garage door springs will store energy when the door closes, and then will assist in lifting the door when the door opens -- just doing the work quietly in the background. However, when a spring fails, that assistance disappears which makes the door very hard to move.

Important role of garage door springs

Garage door springs do the "muscle work" for the doors in the background. Whether it is a single family residential garage or it is a commercial roll up door, the springs are accomplishing the goal of lifting the weight of the door. As an expert points out, the spring "carries whatever force is applied to lift the garage door and provide the muscle which enables a heavy door to be raised easily and lowered in control.". A great example is the torsion spring that is located above the door - when the door closes, the torsion spring winds tighter and stores potential energy; in contrast, when the door opens, the torsion spring unwinds and provide the lift to carry the weight of the door. In all cases, having a functioning spring means that there is very limited effort to operate the door. When the spring fails, you will experience extreme difficulty or impossibility in lifting the door and that is due to loss of counterbalance.(Actually, most garage doors have two springs side by side - if one breaks, there is no way for the other to handle the weight by itself, and the door will sag and feel “unbalanced.”)

Signs a Spring is Broken

Keep an eye out for these clear indicators. They are your indications that a spring may have broken:

• Loud Bang or Pop - A broken torsion spring will often let out a sharp-off explosion-like sound (people describe it as resembling a gunshot or firecracker) when it breaks. The "bang" is actually the coils of the spring snapping and releasing stored energy.

• Door Will Open Only Partially - The door may raise just a few inches or is very slow and then stops, or goes in reverse. For instance, one guide stated that if the opener does attempt to lift the door about three inches and then stops, it is likely the mechanism has a broken spring.

• Door is Heavy or Unbalanced - You may notice that the door is significantly harder to lift by hand compared to what it used to be. One side may appear lower than the other, where the door may crash down in an unbalanced state. If one torsion spring were to break, it can cause one side's cables to go slack, thereby creating visible unevenness.

• Visible Gap or Hanging Spring - Inspect the springs (cautiously): a broken torsion spring has a clear gap in its coils. An extension spring (that runs along the track), may appear to be hanging arbitrarily, and/or broken, possibly being held up on the safety cable.One garage-door FAQ noted, “the most common [cause] after hearing a loud bang would be a broken spring” – check both types, and don’t use the garage door if you have a broken spring.

• Opener Straining or Grinding – If the springs are not helping the door up and down, the motor has to work much harder. You may hear your opener making a straining sound or grinding noises. Overhead Door has pointed out that under these circumstances, you will probably burn out the gears - or the base motor, and should not run the motor under these circumstances. As a whole, these sounds (especially the bang with difficult opening) create very strong evidence the spring(s) is/are broken. If you notice any of these signs, the safest action is to treat the door as unsafe until a professional checks it.

Dangers of a Broken Garage Door Spring

A failed spring can not only present problems, but concerns around safety. The key hazards include.

• Flying Projectiles: Garage door springs are under tremendous forces of tension. Upon failure, the end of the spring can actually snap forward/outward very quickly. Overhead Door cautions that when a spring coil releases, it can travel “almost as fast as… a bullet”, which create the potential for bodily harm. Even the most trained DIY enthusiasts have lost their lives attempting to install broken springs.

• Sudden Door Collapse: In this case if the spring(s) failed, then the door has no support. If someone accidentally presses the "emergency release", or the opener just fails, the garage door could very suddenly slam down - without warning. Best Overhead Door detail that "in this case, [the garage door] could drop suddenly, with damage to whatever is beneath the door". This is a serious hazard for people, pets, and vehicles in the garage.

• Equipment Damage: If you drive into a door because you disregarded the broken spring, the opener will also be overstrained. Overhead Door points out that "to use an opener after the spring comes down is almost sure to destroy the gear assembly or burn up the ... motor". Even if you repair the spring after the opener burns out, it will be more expensive than completing the repair or service when a spring breaks.

• Business Downtime: For commercial and industrial doors, a broken spring can stop your operation cold. OC Garage Door Guys explained roll-up doors must be kept functioning, or you run the risk of "los[ing] a lot of clients because of no accessibility." For a warehouse, shop, or storefront that could mean costs chase the clock as every minute and hour that passes without access incurs costs -- getting repairs done quickly is essential.

So, a broken spring creates risks for people and asset damage while causing even more costly damage and delays. Please pay attention to the signs of a broken spring.

What to do if Your Spring Breaks

If you suspect your spring has broken, it is very important to do the following:

1. Stop using the door.

If you think the spring broke stop immediately. Do not make any attempts to use the door, by hand or with the opener. If you can, keep all personnel (and pets or family) away from the garage door if possible. One expert recommends you "don't use the door to prevent injury and more damage".

2. Don't try to fix it yourself.

Garage springs are very dangerous to handle without the proper tools and training. Best Overhead Door's blog states: "You should hire a professional....you are working with a part (the garage door spring) that is responsible for holding up potentially hundreds of pounds in place." If the repair isn't made correctly, serious injury can occur.

3.Call a qualified garage door technician right away. Look for a reputable service with experience replacing garage door springs. In Orange County there are various companies who offer 24/7 emergency spring repair - OC Garage Door Guys is one such trusted companies. With every truck, OC Garage Door Guys carries a range of springs that fit their most commonly repaired doors; since they carry a wide range of springs, they may be able to complete the spring replacement on the same day you call.

4.Follow the advice of a professional.

The technician will inspect the garage door, and replace the spring (often both springs, to ensure that the door is balanced across both springs); also ensure that the garage door is balanced and operating safely. Do not operate the garage door until the service repair has been completed and tested. The blog from Best Overhead Door suggests: “DO NOT OPERATE YOUR GARAGE DOOR WITH A BROKEN SPRING."

Following these steps - stop and don't force it, call for experts - will help protect your safety and your property and (for businesses) your livelihood.

OC Garage Door Guys - Local Spring Repair Experts

• For homeowners and businesses in Orange County, OC Garage Door Guys spring repair is a leading name for fast and reliable door spring repair.

• OC Garage Door Guys is a family-owned company and we have all grown up in or around Huntington Beach - we serve the entire Orange County metro.

• We offer "the true 24/7 emergency service"; and in fact, we will "dispatch a technician without delay" and even fix broken springs "within the same day you call."

• We maintain a complete product inventory of springs and parts on their service trucks so that most repairs are done on site.

• OC Garage Door Guys technicians have extensive training and experience and can quickly assess problems, then inform customers of each step we will perform to repair the door. This is to help our customers have confidence that they are receiving quality repairs.

OC Garage Door Guys has garnered many great local customer reviews that praise their fast response and quality repairs. OC Garage Door Guys focuses on professionalism and customer satisfaction by warranty both parts and labor. The company also price is competitive. The company emphasizes safety, speed and customer satisfaction, and OC Garage Door Guys has find their place as an industry respected and leading provider of garage door services in the metro Orange County area. If you need garage door spring repair or have a garage door problem in the area, OC Garage Door Guys have the expertise and fast service.