A broken garage door spring is one of the most common — and most urgent — garage door problems homeowners face. If your door suddenly won’t open, feels incredibly heavy, or you heard a loud bang from the garage, you’re probably dealing with a broken spring.
Signs Your Spring Is Broken
The door won’t open at all. When a torsion spring breaks, the opener usually can’t lift the door by itself. The spring does most of the heavy lifting — literally. Without it, the motor doesn’t have enough power.
You heard a loud bang. A breaking torsion spring releases stored energy all at once. Many homeowners describe it as sounding like a gunshot or a car backfiring. If you heard this and your door stopped working, that’s almost certainly the cause.
The door opens a few inches then stops. Your opener’s safety features may prevent it from forcing a door open without spring support. If the door lifts six inches and stops, the spring has likely failed.
There’s a visible gap in the spring coil. Look at the horizontal bar above your door. If you see a spring with a clear gap or separation in the coils, it’s broken.
The door feels extremely heavy when lifted manually. Disconnect the opener (pull the red cord) and try lifting the door by hand. A properly balanced door should feel light — around 10-15 pounds of effort. If it feels like you’re lifting the full weight of the door (150-300 lbs), the spring isn’t doing its job.
Why Springs Break
Garage door springs have a finite lifespan measured in cycles. One cycle equals one open-and-close. Standard springs last about 10,000 cycles, which is roughly 7-10 years for most households.
Springs also fail faster in cold climates. Massachusetts winters put extra stress on the metal through thermal contraction. Springs that are already near the end of their life are most likely to snap during a cold snap.
What NOT to Do
Do not try to open the door manually. An unbalanced door is extremely heavy and can slam shut without warning, causing serious injury.
Do not try to replace the spring yourself. Torsion springs are under extreme tension. Improper handling can result in the spring releasing with enough force to cause severe injury or death. This is not a DIY job.
Do not keep using the opener. Running the opener without a working spring puts enormous strain on the motor and can burn it out, turning a $350 spring replacement into a $700+ repair.
What to Do Instead
- Stop using the door. Don’t try to force it open or closed.
- Call a professional. Same-day spring replacement is available from Murray’s Garage Door Services. Call (978) 850-3990.
- If the door is stuck open, you can safely close it by having two people slowly guide it down from each side. But only do this if you can maintain control of the weight.
How Much Does Spring Replacement Cost?
Most torsion spring replacements cost between $350 and $500, depending on the spring size, door weight, and whether one or both springs need replacing. We always recommend replacing both springs at the same time — if one broke, the other is likely close behind.
At Murray’s, we provide a clear quote before starting any work. No trip fees, no surprise charges.
Upgrade to High-Cycle Springs
If you’re replacing springs anyway, ask about high-cycle options. These last 25,000-50,000 cycles instead of the standard 10,000, which means 15-25+ years of service. The upfront cost is higher, but the per-year cost is actually lower — and you avoid future emergency breakdowns.
Need spring replacement today? Call Murray’s Garage Door Services at (978) 850-3990 for same-day service across Massachusetts.
