Broken garage door springs
Broken Garage Door Spring Repair
That loud bang wasn't good news. If you heard a loud bang from the garage and now the door barely moves, a spring has probably broken. Springs do the heavy lifting; the opener just guides. When a spring fails, the door can weigh well over 100 pounds.
Signs you're dealing with this
- A loud bang from the garage, often when nobody was using the door
- A visible gap in the coil of the spring above the door
- The door feels extremely heavy or the opener strains and stops
- The door rises a few inches and drops, or closes faster than normal
- Cables hanging loose beside the door
Safety first. Do not try to wind, unwind or replace a torsion spring yourself, and don't keep pressing the opener button. Springs and their cables are under high tension and can cause serious injury. Keep people and cars clear of the door until a trained technician inspects it.
When to call a pro
Spring replacement, cable inspection and door balancing should be done by a trained garage door technician.