2026-03-21 6 min read
There's a certain sound that garage door technicians hear about all the time: a loud bang, like a gunshot, coming from the garage. often in the middle of the night. The homeowner wakes up, checks the house, finds nothing obvious, and goes back to bed. The next morning they hit the button to leave for work, and the door goes nowhere. That's a broken torsion spring, and it's one of the most common calls we get from homeowners in Leming and the surrounding communities like Lytle, Elmendorf, and Jourdanton.
The frustrating part is that springs almost never fail without warning. They give you signals for weeks or months beforehand. The problem is most homeowners don't know what to look for. This guide will change that.
Your garage door likely weighs somewhere between 150 and 400 pounds. The springs are what make it possible to lift that weight with a small electric motor. or with one hand. <cite index="40-1,40-2">Torsion springs, the most common type found above garage door openings, wind tightly when the door closes, storing all that potential energy. When you open your door, the springs unwind in a controlled manner, essentially doing the heavy lifting for you.</cite>
<cite index="34-20,34-21">The garage door opener is designed to guide the door, not lift the full weight. If you force the opener to lift a dead-weight door, you risk burning out the motor. turning a simple spring fix into a much more expensive opener replacement.</cite>
Springs are rated by cycles. one open, one close equals one cycle. <cite index="32-9">A standard spring is rated for around 10,000 cycles, which translates to roughly 7 to 10 years for a household that uses the garage door 2 to 4 times per day.</cite>
But in Atascosa County, springs often don't make it that long. <cite index="34-9,34-10">Texas weather is notoriously hard on metal. The expansion caused by 100-degree August afternoons followed by the contraction of a sudden cold front creates microscopic stress fractures in the steel.</cite> Add in the humidity that settles over Leming from late spring through early fall, and you have a recipe for accelerated spring failure. <cite index="34-17">Environmental factors like high humidity can also cause surface rust, which weakens the metal over time.</cite>
If your home is more than seven years old and the springs have never been inspected or replaced, pay close attention to the warning signs below.
This is usually the first sign homeowners notice. <cite index="31-32,31-33">One of the most obvious signs of worn-out torsion springs is difficulty in opening or closing your garage door. If you notice that your door is becoming increasingly heavy to lift or doesn't close smoothly, this could be a sign that the torsion springs are no longer functioning properly.</cite>
You can test this yourself: disconnect the opener by pulling the red emergency release cord, then try to lift the door manually to about waist height. <cite index="38-4,38-5">Another way to test the torsion springs is to raise the door halfway. it should remain in this position if the springs have proper balance and haven't worn out.</cite> If it drops, the springs are losing tension.
<cite index="31-37,31-38">When your garage door is functioning properly, you shouldn't hear unusual sounds coming from the opener or the springs. If you notice an increase in noise when opening or closing your garage door, this could be a sign of faulty torsion springs.</cite> Grinding, squeaking, and popping all mean something different. but none of them are sounds you want to ignore.
<cite index="33-24,33-25,33-26">A sudden, loud noise in your garage. like a gunshot or a firecracker. often signals that a spring has broken. Since garage door springs are under all that tension, they can release energy violently when they snap.</cite> If you heard something like that recently and your door is now struggling, that's almost certainly what happened.
Look at the springs above your door. <cite index="33-21,33-22,33-23">Take a close look at your torsion springs. If you notice a gap in the coil, this indicates the spring has snapped. A broken spring isn't capable of supporting the door's weight and needs to be replaced right away.</cite>
Also look for rust or discoloration. <cite index="32-2,32-3">Over time, springs corrode due to moisture or show visible signs of wear like rust, discoloration, or elongation. A rusty spring is more brittle and prone to snapping.</cite> In Leming's humid summers, this kind of corrosion happens faster than in drier climates.
<cite index="33-33,33-34,33-35">Does your garage door look lopsided or tilt to one side when opening or closing? This often means that one spring has failed while the other is still functioning.</cite> This creates uneven stress on the entire door system and can pull rollers out of their tracks if left alone. If you've noticed dents or panel issues alongside uneven movement, take a look at our panel repair guide to understand what kind of secondary damage can result.
<cite index="33-42,33-43,33-44">If your automatic opener is straining to lift the door, makes weird noises, or stops working altogether, it's likely compensating for failing springs. Since openers aren't designed to handle the door's full weight, this can lead to motor burnout or other damage.</cite> Don't keep hitting the button hoping it'll work. you're just killing your opener.
This one is non-negotiable. <cite index="32-21,32-22">Garage door springs are under high tension and can be dangerous to adjust without proper tools and training. Leave any tightening, loosening, or replacement to trained professionals.</cite>
<cite index="40-6,40-7">If a winding bar slips, if the wrong tool is used, if the tension isn't released properly, or if someone simply doesn't understand the mechanics involved, that spring can snap with devastating force. The metal can whip around, strike you in the face or head, slice through skin, or crush fingers caught in the mechanism.</cite> This is not an area where watching a YouTube video is adequate preparation.
Leming Garage Doors handles spring replacements regularly and safely. If any of the signs above sound familiar, schedule a service call before the spring breaks completely and you're stuck. You can also browse our FAQ page for common questions about spring types, costs, and what to expect from a service visit.
Once you've had springs replaced, a few habits will help them last longer:
- Lubricate the springs every six months using a silicone or lithium-based spray. This reduces friction and slows rust formation. especially important during Leming's humid stretch from May through October. - Don't ignore small noises. A squeak or grind that starts in spring can become a break by July if left alone. - Ask about high-cycle springs when replacing. <cite index="32-10">High-cycle springs rated for 25,000 to 50,000 cycles last longer but cost more upfront</cite>. often worth it if your garage is your main entry point. - Get a yearly inspection. A technician can spot a spring that's losing tension or starting to rust long before it becomes an emergency.
For more on keeping your entire system in shape before summer hits, our post on preparing your garage door for hot weather covers the full seasonal checklist.
Q: How do I know if my spring is broken or if it's the opener? A: Pull the emergency release cord and try to lift the door manually. If it's nearly impossible to lift. like it weighs a thousand pounds. the spring is almost certainly broken. If it lifts relatively easily but the opener still won't run it, the problem is with the opener or its sensors.
Q: Can I still use my garage door if I think the spring is weakening but not broken yet? A: You can, but you're running a risk. A weakening spring puts strain on your opener motor, and a sudden break can happen without notice, potentially dropping the door on a vehicle or person. It's better to schedule an inspection now than to deal with an emergency later.
Q: Do I need to replace both springs at the same time? A: In most cases, yes. If one spring has failed after years of use, the other is at a similar point in its cycle life and likely not far behind. Replacing both at once saves you a second service call and keeps the door balanced.