Signs a garage door spring has broken
B&D lists the signs: a loud bang from the garage, a door that suddenly feels much heavier or will not lift, an opener that hums or strains but does not move the door, a visible gap or stretched coils in the spring, and a door that lifts crookedly.
The bang often comes when nobody is near the door, because springs tend to let go while they are wound tight. If you heard it and the door now will not open, a spring is the likely cause.
Do not repair it yourself
Steel-Line says the spring force is generally equal to the door's weight and is violently released if a spring breaks while wound or stretched. Its instruction is plain: 'If a spring breaks, DO NOT ATTEMPT REPAIR'. Never loosen any bolt on the spring assembly or the bottom cable brackets.
What to do straight away
Stop using the opener
B&D says to stop using the opener at once, because running the door can strain the motor, the cables and the tracks.
Keep everyone clear
Keep children, pets and cars away from the door until a door specialist has looked at it. If the door is part open, leave it where it is.
Do not lift it by hand
Without the spring's help the door is very heavy. B&D warns that lifting it by hand could cause muscle strain or finger injuries.
Leave the manual release alone if the door is open
Chamberlain says to use the emergency release only when the door is fully closed if possible, because a door with weak or broken springs may fall rapidly and without warning.
Tell us the job
Mark it urgent when you tell us the job, so the door specialist who takes it knows the door is stuck.
Roller doors and sectional doors use different springs
A roller door is balanced by helical coil springs inside the drum above the opening. A sectional door uses a torsion spring counterbalance above the door, with lift cables running down to the bottom corners on cable drums.
Both hold a great deal of stored force. Steel-Line warns never to try to tension a roller door yourself, because loosening its U-bolts can release the spring and bring the door down hard. On a sectional door the cables carry the full weight of the door, and Steel-Line says only experienced door people should replace them.
Why springs wear out
Springs are rated by cycles, one opening and closing at a time. B&D rates its springs at 10,000 cycles on Panelift, 20,000 on Panelift Icon and 30,000 on Roll-A-Door, with a 30,000 cycle high-cycle option on some models.
B&D's manual also says it is natural for springs to lose tension over time. A door that gets slowly harder to lift, or an opener that has started to labour, can be a spring nearing the end of its life rather than a failing motor.
What to tell the door specialist
- Whether it is a roller door or a sectional or panel lift door
- Whether the door is open, closed or stuck part way
- Whether a car is shut in the garage
- What you heard or saw, such as a bang or a cable hanging loose
- The brand of the door or opener, if there is a label you can read from a safe distance
What you can do, and what to leave
You can
- Stop using the opener and keep everyone clear
- Take photos of the door from a safe distance
- Find another way to get the car out if you need it, and leave the door as it is
Leave to a door specialist
- Spring replacement, on any kind of door
- Cables, cable drums and the bottom brackets
- Tensioning a roller door
What we would do
If one spring on a sectional door has gone, ask whether the other is close behind. They usually share the same number of cycles, and replacing both on the one visit can save a second call-out later.