Why You Should Never Delay Garage Door Spring Repairs

Garage door springs counterbalance the weight of the door and are vital for the door to operate safely. Garage doors have two common spring types, they either have a torsion spring, mounted above the door on a tube, or an extension spring, located along the sides of the door. When both types of springs are under tension, torsion springs provide more lifting power and also are contained if they break, whereas extension springs stretch and can injure you if they break. Most springs are rated for roughly 10,000 cycles (approximately 7–10 years of normal use). But regardless of whether it's a torsion spring or extension spring, if a spring is worn or broken, the door will no longer be able to open or close properly. It is very dangerous if you purposely or inadvertently ignore spring issues. Having the springs maintain professionally and having the springs checked regularly to identify things early, will help keep your garage door working smoothly and safely.

Garage Door Broken Spring

Safety Risks of Spring Malfunction

It is foolish to delay needed spring repair because you don't want the consequences that a broken spring can cause. In many cases a broken spring makes the door very necessary heavy to lift. A torsion spring breaks with a loud bang, then usually the door can unexpected slam shut, or jam and not be able to open anymore. This creates a very serious safety issue, because the door (that can weigh hundreds of pounds) could crash down without warning to what or who is under it. Even opening a door with a broken spring is a safety risk, as the door may fall unpredictably or pull loose from its tracks.

• Potential for personal injury: When a spring breaks, it makes the door unbalanced. If you try to force it, you can very unexpectedly cause the door to crash down at once, which can cause serious injury.Risk of injury standing by the door.

• Property and vehicle damage: The door can fall or jerk and hit vehicles or other belongings in the garage. Garage doors are heavy enough that they can quickly crush or dent an automobile if they start to close suddenly.

• System/component damage: A broken spring doesn't just stop the door. A broken spring can cause the door to warp or jam, as well can other components. A misaligned or unbalanced garage door can damage cables, rollers, tracks, and opener. For example, the opener can burn out when it has to lift a door that is too heavy for it. If one component breaks down, the stress on the rest of the components increases making the spring repair a much larger repair.

• Home security exposure: A door that doesn't work leaves your home exposed. A door that doesn't close or lock properly opens your home up to burglars. Even "minor" issues, like a broken spring or misaligned track, can cause security issues. A garage door that is stuck open or that won't shut needs to be viewed as a security breach.

• More expense and inconvenience: Waiting to repair the door will lead to more expense and downtime. The spring replacement that should have only been a spring replacement (cost of $150-350) can end up much larger if other components were to break.According to industry sources, continued use of a broken spring will eventually damage cables, drums, and/or the opener, and the repair costs could balloon upward. (For comparison purposes, the cost of replacing an entire garage door is $750–$1,700 or more, whereas springs alone typically run a few hundred dollars.) In short, early action conserves hassle and money.

Orange County Climate and Usage Considerations

• Orange County homeowners have different factors to deal with that make timely spring repairs more important. The coastal Southern California environment is tough on metal, primarily because of salt-laden air (especially in coastal areas) and more humidity.

  
  

• These factors can rust and corrode springs, cables, rollers, and other parts. A study found that salt air "can wreak havoc on garage door springs" and parts and cause early failures. This means that OC spring hardware may fail sooner than they would in a drier climate. So, frequent inspections and lubrication (cleaning and lubricating parts) are a must.

  
  

• Orange County families also tend to have higher uses of their garages. Most homes have multiple cars, and daily garage door cycles can be high. Springs are rated to have a set number of open/close cycles–approximately 10,000 for a typical torsion spring. A busy residential household can go through that limit in a little under 10 years. If your springs are old or creak often, you may be pushing the cycle range, and the springs can fail without much indication. With the appropriate local factors, it is very important to maintain preventative maintenance (lubrication and inspections) in Orange County.

Immediate vs Delay repair Costs and Time

Fixing a broken spring right away not only helps the safety issue, but saves costs and time. A normal spring replacement by a qualified professional costs roughly $150–$350+ (per spring) and same day or next day service call could also fix it with little interruption. On the other hand, delaying repairs can turn into an emergency event: multiple parts fail, requiring cable and possibly opener replacements, or even a full door rebuild. In that case, you can spend a lot to fix the problem with repair costs entering the general high hundreds and thousands if parts fail. (As a comparison, a whole door could be replaced for $750–$1,700+.)

Emergency or after hours service can carry additional premium fees.

The table below shows the approximate differences in costs and timelines/turnarounds:

Scenario	Approximate Cost (parts + labor)	Typical Timeline
Immediate spring repair (treat problem promptly)	$150–350+ (single spring replacement)	Same-day or 1-day service call; minimal downtime
Delayed repair (door stuck or broken parts)	$500+ (springs + cables/opener; possibly full door)	Multiple days: emergency scheduling, longer repairs

Table: Repair cost and timeline comparison. Delaying repairs tends to raise costs and extend downtime.

Call a licensed professional (don’t attempt a DIY!)

Springs are often under severe tension; therefore, only trained and insured professionals should handle them.

Doing a DIY repair is dangerously risky; all it takes is to slip, causing a spring to snap, or allowing the door to drop, leading to serious injury, or worse.

Licensed professionals will have the right tools, knowledge and experience to safely; and accurately replace springs, apply the correct tension and balance the door. They will check all associated components (cables, rollers, drums, opener, sensors, etc.) to look for any damage that may not be immediately apparent. It’s always wise to verify that a contractor is licensed and insured in California; this helps protect you from liability, as well as code compliance and safety. Industry guides caution against trying a DIY garage door spring replacement; they strongly encourage you to “avoid injury potential by not trying to do it yourself” – at all costs!

By hiring a licensed professional, you can fell confident, that the work was done correctly and safely, and had only to be done once.

When a spring breaks..

• If a spring has broken, it’s time to act immediately, but do not manually close the door, if the door is closed, do not force it open.

  
  

• It’s best to just maintain the door in the closed position, and keep it out of use, if it is open when the spring breaks, DO NOT attempt to close the door manually.

  
  

• If a spring is broken; the first thing you should do is avoid injury potential by NOT trying to open the door manually. Be sure to secure the area around the garage and keep children and pets at a safe distance.

  
  

• Call a trusted and reputable garage door company as soon as possible for emergency service. It's always best to be safe rather than sorry, (if you don't use the door and it has failing springs).

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• While you are waiting for a service technician to come, just be sure that your home security is still intact: for example, lock any interior door that leads from the garage to the house, or keep valuables to a minimum.

  
  

• When the technician comes it is likely they will replace the broken spring (s) (usually you will replace both springs), and you will be back to a safe operating garage door.

Preventative Maintenance

To prevent failing a spring is always the best course of action. Have your door system inspected at least annually by a professional; and you may catch wear early. Keep the springs and moving parts clean and lubricated.

You should lubricate springs, rollers, hinges and tracks twice a year with a silicone-based lubricant. (In OC we have a humid/coastal climate; it may need light lubrication even more frequently). Regular lubrication helps reduce friction and inhibit rust; very important in OC's salt air environment. Change worn seals, to help prevent moisture from contaminating your tracks and springs.

Listen for weird noises (creaks, squeaks or grinding); these often point to a component that is reaching its stress limit.

Use your best judgement: if one spring is basically used up, replacing both springs is a good option, even if one did not yet fail. In fact, technicians typically recommend changing springs in pairs, as they tend to wear out around the same time.

Always error on the side of caution. Don’t let a small issue turn into a dangerous emergency! If you react to spring failures promptly, Orange County homeowners will protect their families and belongings; and reduce repair bills.