Signs Your Garage Door Spring Is Broken

You don't have to touch anything to check your springs. Everything below can be done from a safe distance, standing out of the door's path.

First, which springs do you have?

• Torsion springs are mounted on a metal bar above the door opening, usually one or two.
• Extension springs run alongside the horizontal tracks on each side of the door, above your head when the door is closed.

7 signs of a broken spring

1. You heard a loud bang

A spring letting go releases a lot of energy at once. Many homeowners describe a sound like a gunshot or something heavy falling, often when nobody was using the door.

2. There's a gap in the torsion spring

Look at the spring above the door. A broken torsion spring usually shows a clear separation, a couple of inches of gap where the coil snapped.

3. An extension spring is stretched, snapped, or hanging

On extension systems, a broken spring may hang loose, look stretched out compared to the other side, or be held only by its safety cable.

4. The opener runs, but the door barely moves

The opener hums, strains, and lifts the door a few inches before stopping or reversing. Openers aren't built to lift the door's full weight. More: opener straining in winter.

5. The door feels extremely heavy

If you've already tried to lift it, you may notice it won't budge. Don't keep trying. That weight is exactly why lifting it is dangerous. Can you open a door with a broken spring?

6. The door is crooked or jerky

On a two-spring door, one side may rise faster than the other, or the door may jerk and shudder as it moves.

7. Cables are loose or dangling

When a spring breaks, the lift cables can go slack and come off their drums. You may see a cable hanging near a bottom corner. Cable repair

Angi's spring guidance lists similar warning signs, including a door that doesn't hang straight, lowers faster than usual, won't stay open, or has visible gaps in the springs.

Signs a spring may be about to fail

• Rust on the springs, especially where road salt and damp air reach the hardware (salt and rust guide)
• Visible stretching or gaps in the coil
• A door that's gotten noisier or slower
• Springs that are many years old. Angi estimates torsion springs last about 8–15 years and extension springs about 7–12, depending on use.

Cold weather note

Springs mainly wear out from use—each open and close is one cycle. Cold generally isn't the root cause, but it can add strain to a worn spring, so breaks often show up on the first hard freeze. Details: broken spring in cold weather.

What to do if you see these signs

1. Stop using the door and unplug the opener, if you can reach the plug safely.
2. Don't lift the door by hand, and don't pull the emergency release if the door is open.
3. Keep people, pets, and cars clear.
4. Take a photo from a safe distance and request help.

Read next: broken spring repair · spring replacement cost · emergency help

It might not be the spring

If the springs look intact, the problem could be the opener, the safety sensors, a cable, ice at the seal, or the track. Walk through garage door won't open.

Getting help

Twin Cities Garage Door SOS is a free referral service for homeowners. We're not a contractor. Send a request and we'll connect you with one independent local company. How it works.