What to Do When Garage Door Springs Break
Every automatic garage door features either torsion or extension springs. Their job is to make lifting and lowering the 150- to 300-pound garage door easier. Springs usually last for many years, but eventually, all that opening and closing takes its toll, and the metal springs fail. Here’s what to do when you’re faced with broken garage door springs.
Diagnose the Problem
You probably have a broken garage door spring on your hands if you notice any of these signs:
- You hear a loud “bang”: If you’re at home when the spring breaks, you’ll hear what sounds like a gunshot coming from the garage. Torsion springs are always under tension, and when they break, the noise you hear is from the coils snapping back.
- The garage door goes up six inches and then stops: This is a safety mechanism that prevents damage to your garage door or opener when a spring breaks.
- The garage door lifts very slowly: An opener with a DC motor may operate at a slow speed because of how much heavier the door is when a spring is broken.
- The garage door is very heavy: If you pull the emergency release rope because the door isn’t operating properly, you know a broken spring is the cause if the door is impossibly heavy to lift by yourself.
- You can see the broken spring: If you have torsion springs, look above the garage door. You’ll see a two-inch gap somewhere along one (or both) of the broken springs. If you have extension springs, look on the sides of the garage door. You’ll see the broken spring laying on the floor and the safety cable hanging down.
Use Extreme Caution When Lifting a Garage Door with a Broken Spring
Many people discover a broken spring when they attempt to open the garage door on their way to work. Of course, a broken spring prevents the door from lifting, so you might be desperate to open the garage manually in order to leave.
If only one garage door spring breaks, which is the most common scenario, the good spring makes it easier to get the door open. If you decide to attempt this, recruit two able-bodied people to lift the door so you can pull your car out. This is a hazardous procedure, and we only recommend it if you absolutely must drive somewhere, such as if a family member is having a medical emergency.
If both springs break, the garage door is nothing but dead weight. Lifting and securing the door open could be extremely dangerous. If the door slips and falls, the full brunt of it will come crashing down. Therefore, we don’t recommend attempting to lift a garage door with two broken springs.
Call a Professional to Repair Broken Garage Door Springs
We highly recommend leaving garage door spring repair to a professional. If you don’t have knowledge and experience with this type of repair, you could put yourself in potentially life-threatening danger. Many steps are involved in repairing a garage door spring, and every step must be completed in the proper order. It’s also vital to install an accurately sized replacement spring, or the garage door won’t operate safely.
Contact Overhead Door Company of Fort Wayne for Garage Door Repair
For a fast, reliable garage door service with results that last, trust Overhead Door Company of Fort Wayne to fix your broken garage door springs. Our fully trained, highly experienced technicians are available by appointment or 24/7 for emergency repair services.
The next time you need us, please contact us online or call (260) 205-8509!
