Signs a garage door spring is broken
Know the sounds, sights and symptoms of a broken garage door spring, what you can check from a safe distance, and why you should not run the door.
A broken spring usually announces itself with a bang, a door that suddenly feels heavy, or a visible gap in a coil. This guide lists the signs and what you can check by eye from the floor. If you suspect a broken spring, do not try the door to find out.
If you suspect a broken spring, stop first
Do not test the door
Do not operate the door by remote, wall button or by hand to see whether a spring is broken. A door with a broken spring is much heavier than the opener or your arms expect, and it can drop or bind. Keep people and pets clear of the door, and do not touch the springs, cables, brackets or bottom fixtures. They hold dangerous tension.
Everything in this guide can be done by looking. You do not need to move the door, and you do not need tools.
Sounds and symptoms that point to a broken spring
Springs counterbalance the weight of the door. When one fails, the door loses that help, and the signs follow from that. Sources that describe spring failure list these most often:
- A loud bang from the garage with nothing hitting the door. One source compares it to a shotgun blast.
- A door that suddenly feels heavy or cannot be lifted at all.
- An opener that strains, runs slowly or only hums. See opener hums but the door does not move.
- Uneven or jerky movement, or one side hanging lower than the other.
- A door that will not stay open partway up.
- A door that closes too fast or slams down.
- A gap at the bottom when the door is closed.
Not every one of these means a spring has failed. Worn rollers, a bent track or a cable problem can cause some of the same symptoms. A technician has to inspect the door and confirm the cause. That is why we do not guess from symptoms alone.
What you can safely check by eye
Stand on the floor, well back from the door, with a flashlight if the garage is dark. Look only.
- Find the springs. A torsion system has coils on a bar above the door. An extension system has long coils along the sides. If you are unsure, see torsion vs extension springs.
- On a torsion system, look for a gap or separation in a coil, or a coil that looks pulled apart.
- On an extension system, look for coils that look stretched or deformed, a loose end, or a spring that has separated.
- Look for rust or corrosion along the coils. Rust is a sign of wear and is worth mentioning to a technician.
- Look at the cables at the bottom corners of the door for fraying, slack, or a cable off its drum or pulley.
- Check that each extension spring has a safety cable, and that the cable is intact.
- Take photos from where you stand. They help a technician identify the parts before the visit.
Do not stand under the door or reach toward the springs to get a better look. If you cannot see the springs from the floor, leave it for the technician.
Why a broken spring is not a wait-and-see problem
DASMA, the garage door industry association, calls springs arguably the most important and most dangerous part of your door. Springs wear out, and when they break, injury can result. A door that is still on its track but has lost a spring is not stable, and the opener is not built to lift it alone.
Overhead Door, a door manufacturer, warns that using an opener with a broken spring can burn out the motor gears. A door with a broken spring should not be operated with the opener. That is another reason to leave the door still until it has been inspected.
If your door has two springs and one has broken, the other one has done the same work for the same time. DASMA advises replacing both. Read can you replace just one spring for the reasoning.
When to stop and bring in a technician
Any of the following is enough to stop and bring in a technician:
- You heard a bang and the door will not lift, or lifts unevenly.
- You can see a gap, a stretched coil or a separated spring.
- A lift cable or safety cable is frayed, slack or off its drum or pulley.
- The door is crooked, off its track or hanging low on one side.
- You are not sure whether the door is safe to use. See when a garage door is unsafe to use.
We repair broken springs. Our technicians inspect the door, confirm the cause, and replace the spring or springs with parts sized to your door. See spring replacement and garage door repair. If a cable has failed, see frayed or snapped garage door cable.
Spring work is technician work
DASMA says spring systems are dangerous and should be repaired only by trained professionals, and that cables and brackets under spring tension should be handled only by a trained technician. Do not try to wind, adjust or replace a spring, even to get the door open.
Related services
Sources
Need a technician?
If something on your door looks damaged, stay clear and let a technician handle it.
Questions and answers
Can a garage door spring break without a noise?
Sources describe a loud bang as a common sign, but it is not the only one. A spring can fail while you are out, and you notice only a heavy door, a gap in a coil, or an opener that strains. Look for the other signs in this guide.
Can I use the opener to get my car out?
No. Do not run the opener or lift the door by hand if you suspect a broken spring. The door can be far heavier than it should be, and the strain can damage the opener. Have a technician inspect it first.
My door has two springs and only one looks broken. Is the other fine?
Not necessarily. Both springs have worked for the same length of time. DASMA advises replacing both if your door has two, even if only one is broken.
Is rust on a spring a problem?
Rust can reduce wire strength and shorten spring life, according to DASMA. A rusty spring is worth having a technician inspect, even if it has not failed yet.
Have a garage door problem?
Our technicians repair and replace springs, cables, openers and doors across New Jersey.