7 Signs Your Garage Door Spring Is Broken

Loud bang, door won't open, gap in the spring? Here's how to know for sure—and why you shouldn't try to use the door.

A broken spring sounds like a gunshot Most Chattanooga homeowners hear the failure before they see it. A snapped torsion spring releases an enormous amount of stored energy and makes a sharp "BANG" loud enough to wake the house. If that's what you heard, stop here and don't try to use the door.

The 7 unmistakable signs 1. **A 2–4 inch gap in the torsion spring** above the door 2. **The door won't open more than 6–12 inches** with the opener 3. **The opener strains and reverses** immediately 4. **The door is crooked** and one side hangs lower 5. **The cables hang loose** off the drum 6. **The door slams down hard** instead of lowering 7. **You can't lift the door manually** even with two people

Why springs fail Standard builder springs are rated for 10,000 cycles—about 7 years for a typical family. Tennessee humidity rusts the coils and cold mornings shock the metal. We replace springs in pairs and upgrade to 20,000+ cycle hardware that lasts twice as long.

Don't DIY this one Torsion springs hold hundreds of pounds of tension. Replacement requires winding bars, the right IPPT calculation, and proper drum re-spooling. Call 423-583-9355 and we'll have a spring tech out the same day.