What a spring replacement visit involves

A spring replacement is more than swapping a part. The technician confirms what failed, matches new springs to your door, sets the tension and checks the result. This guide walks through the visit and how to prepare for it from a safe distance.

There is not much to prepare, and nothing that involves touching the hardware. From the floor, you can help the technician by noting what happened and taking photos.

• Write down what you heard or saw: a bang, a gap in a coil, a door that would not lift.
• Photograph the spring area, the ends of the springs and any labels from where you stand.
• Note whether the door has had paint, insulation or windows added since it was installed. DASMA says added paint or components can push door weight beyond specification.
• Clear a path to the door and move vehicles out of the way if you can do so without using the door.
• Mention anything unusual, such as a door that sticks, noises or a cable that looks frayed.

Exact steps vary with the door and the spring system. This is the general order of work described by door professionals, and it is how our technicians approach the job. They inspect and confirm the cause first.

1. Inspect and confirm. The technician identifies the spring type and count, checks which spring failed, and looks at the cables, drums or pulleys, brackets, tracks and bottom fixtures for damage.
2. Make the door safe. The stored energy in the failing spring is released using the proper tools before anything is removed. This is the dangerous step, and it is why the job is for trained people. See why you should never use makeshift tools on a spring.
3. Measure. The door's weight and height are established so the replacement springs match. DASMA says installers should confirm spring identification and parameters against the door manufacturer's instructions, and that color codes alone are only a partial identifier.
4. Install matched springs. On a two-spring door, both are replaced. See replace one spring or both.
5. Wind to the correct tension. The springs are set for that door, following the door manufacturer's instructions for the number of turns.
6. Check balance. The door is tested to confirm it is balanced. See how a door stays balanced.
7. Check the opener. One service company says the opener's force settings are recalibrated to the rebalanced door, where needed. Our technicians check the door's operation with the opener.
8. Test cycle. The door is run through a full open and close before the technician leaves.

A spring failure can leave other damage. The technician may find a frayed or slipped cable, a bent bottom bracket or a door that has come off its track. These are covered by separate services: cable repair, track repair and off-track door repair. They are part of confirming the cause before replacing anything, and they are technician work too.

Factors that change the scope include the spring type (torsion systems are more complex than extension systems, according to This Old House), the number of springs, the door's weight, and the condition of the parts around the springs. The technician explains what is needed once the door has been inspected.

Once the technician confirms the door is repaired and safe to use, ordinary checks are fine. Look at the door from across the garage and make sure it sits level when closed. Listen for new noises. Watch that the door moves smoothly with the opener, and ask the technician about anything that looks off.

Springs wear out with use. For what to expect, see how long garage door springs last. Lubrication and checks at regular intervals help, and a technician can include springs in a maintenance and tune-up.

Bring in a technician any time a spring may have broken or the door behaves differently:

• A bang, a heavy door, or a door that will not lift. See signs a spring is broken.
• A visible gap, stretch or rust in a spring.
• A frayed cable, a door that hangs crooked or one that is off its track.
• The door slams, will not stay partway open, or the opener strains.

We repair and replace springs on residential garage doors. See spring replacement and garage door repair.

• Garage Door Cable Repair
• Garage Door Track Repair and Alignment
• Off-Track Garage Door Repair
• Garage Door Maintenance and Tune-Ups

• DASMA: Garage door safety
• DASMA Technical Data Sheet 190: Factors affecting spring cycle life
• DASMA Technical Data Sheet 171: Color codes for garage door springs
• Affordable Door Co: Garage door spring replacement, signs and safety
• This Old House: Replacing garage door springs