Garage Door Spring Replacement: 5 Signs

You might think you need a garage door spring replacement, but it can sometimes be difficult to determine.

Here are five different ways you can tell if your garage door spring is broken.

1. Your Garage Door Spring is Visibly Broken

There are two common styles of springs, a torsion spring and a torque tube system. If your spring is visible above your door you have a torsion spring. If you see a long tube above your door, you have a Wayne Dalton Garage Door TorqueMaster Counterbalance. A gap of about  2″ in your torsion spring will indicate a broken spring. If you have a double car garage with one door, chances are you have 2 springs. Even if only one spring breaks, we recommend changing both. The amount of tension that your second spring has from doing the work of two springs can cause it to break shortly after we perform only one garage door spring replacement. 

2. Your Overhead Door Only Open a Few Inches

The operator on your garage ceiling is trying to open your garage door with out any support from a spring. The sensors in your opener that control the force of movement in the door, as well as safety features will prevent the operator from moving the door all the way up.

3. Broken Cables on Your Overhead Door

A broken cable is a telltale sign you have a broken spring. Your cables are normally located on either side of your door, wrapped around a drum, that moves with your spring to open and close your door.  Do your cables look frayed, snapped or even laying on the floor? Are your cables bunched up around the drum? When our service technicians replace your broken garage door spring, they will replace your broken cables as well. 

4. Your Garage Door Spring Sounds Broken

When you opened your garage door did you hear a loud noise? Because there are so many moving parts in your garage door system, those parts can squeak, and make noises you get used to hearing. When your spring breaks, you may hear a loud snapping sound. Be careful when you investigate the sound, as parts of the spring system may fall. 

5. Can You Lift Your Roll Up Garage Door Manually?

Your operator will have a pull cord that will allow you to disconnect the operator arm from your door. At this point you can try to open your door manually. It will be extremely heavy to lift, or may not lift at all. 

Garage Door Spring Replacement Boise

If you’re looking for a garage door spring replacement, Excello Overhead Door has over 40 years of experience in Boise and the Treasure Valley. We offer 24/7 emergency service. Just call and we’ll be there!