5 Signs Your Garage Door Spring Is About to Fail
Your garage door does most of its heavy lifting through its springs. When they start to go, the whole system suffers — and a broken spring can leave your car trapped or, worse, cause an unsafe drop. The good news: springs usually drop hints before they snap. Here are the five most common.
1. The door feels heavy or won't stay open. If you pull the release and lift the door by hand and it slams down or won't hold halfway, the springs are losing tension.
2. A loud bang from the garage. A snapped torsion spring makes a sound like a firecracker. If you heard one and the door now won't open, stop using the opener.
3. The door opens crooked or jerky. Uneven movement often means one spring is weaker than the other, or a cable is slipping.
4. Visible gaps or rust on the spring. Walk out and look: a gap in the coil or heavy rust means the spring is near the end of its life.
5. The opener strains or reverses. If the motor works harder than it used to, it's compensating for springs that can't carry the load.
Spring replacement is genuinely dangerous — these are under extreme tension. Don't DIY it. If you've noticed any of these signs, call Alpha One at (630) 835-0008 and we'll replace them safely, usually the same day.
