You’re home alone. You hear a loud noise coming from the garage. Your heart races as you realize the garage door just slammed down – without your assistance!
You’re not sure, but you suspect a broken garage door spring. So what do you do?
First, read through this post to explore five signs of a broken spring. Afterward, you’ll have a better idea of your next steps.
You Hear a Loud Sound in the Garage
When you hear that familiar thud as your garage door shuts, it should be like an old friend coming home. The gentle pressure on the ground and soft click of metal against concrete indicate all is well.
Your garage door is only as strong as its springs!
A loud bang or slamming sound is not normal. When a garage slams down unexpectedly, it’s a sign of a weak or malfunctioning spring.
Squeaking, scraping, and grinding are also sounds made by garage doors. Those noises aren’t typically caused by a broken spring. However, you should still contact a garage door company to help troubleshoot.
When the Door Jumps and Jerks
As mentioned above, your garage door should open and close quietly and smoothly. A sure sign you have a broken spring is when the door jerks during operation.
Keep in mind, this pertains to a door with two rather than one single spring. The door jerks and jumps when one spring breaks, forcing the other spring to do most of the work.
The remedy for this problem is to stop trying to open and close the door. Then, check for a broken spring. If you can’t find visible evidence, let a garage door professional take a look.
A Heavy Garage Door
We’ve all suffered from a heavy heart at one time or another. Heavy hearts can lighten when life gets better, but a heavy garage door is another matter.
Whether it’s a single or 2-car garage, a garage door weighs between 85-225 lbs. The spring(s) bear most of the weight – your human strength assists, but the springs do most of the work.
If a torsion spring breaks, you’ll notice the door either feels much heavier than usual or won’t open at all.
Is the Door Crooked?
When the garage door springs work correctly, the door moves up and down in an even motion. If you notice the door sitting crooked when it’s moving, you have a problem.
A crooked door is a common sign of a broken spring.
Think of it this way: torsion springs are attached to each side of your garage door. When one breaks, it can’t pull its weight. Of course, if both springs break, you have a different kind of problem. See below.
You Cannot Get Any Action
The day you can’t get the automatic door opener to open the door isn’t the day to get angry with the opener. While it could be the remote unit, or something wrong with the motor, it’s more likely that you have a bad garage door spring.
When garage door springs break, your automatic opener cannot lift the door. It has no power! Sure, it might buzz and whir, but you won’t get any action from the door. When a spring breaks, you won’t even be able to lift the door by releasing the emergency release cable.
Don’t pull or push with all your might – you could injure yourself or damage the door beyond repair.
We Can Help Diagnose Your Garage Door Spring Issue
There are several signs you have a broken garage door spring. We’ve covered five of the most common.
The technicians at All-Pro Overhead Door have seen these warning signs many times before. We can quickly diagnose whether you need new garage door springs or a simple garage door spring repair. Contact us today and let us help you get back on track!
