Garage door springs hold enormous tension while supporting the full weight of the door. Because of that, spring work calls for trained hands, the right tools, and zero shortcuts.
Torsion and extension springs are what actually lift a garage door — the opener motor alone isn't strong enough to raise a door that can weigh well over a hundred pounds. Once a spring snaps, the door becomes nearly impossible to open safely, and the broken spring still holds enough stored tension to cause a serious injury if it's handled the wrong way.
Residential garage doors typically use one of two spring setups: torsion springs mounted on a bar above the opening, or extension springs that run along the horizontal tracks. Each is rated for a certain number of open-and-close cycles, generally somewhere between seven and twelve thousand, depending on the spring size and the door's weight. We size every replacement spring to your specific door instead of installing a one-size-fits-all part that wears out early or overworks the opener.
A broken spring is usually easy to spot: a loud bang, a door that won't budge, or one that lifts a few inches and stalls. Harder to catch is a spring that's close to failing but hasn't given out yet. During an inspection we look at coil spacing and winding condition for early fatigue signs, so a replacement can be scheduled before it snaps at a bad moment, or worse, while someone is standing under the door.
Spring replacement calls for winding bars, correctly rated springs, and a clear understanding of how much tension a given door actually needs. It's one of the leading causes of garage door injuries when someone attempts it without the proper equipment, which is exactly why we treat it as its own dedicated service rather than a quick extra.
We'd strongly advise against it. Torsion and extension springs hold significant tension even after breaking, and winding them without the right bars and training has caused serious injuries.
Most residential springs are rated for a set number of cycles, which usually translates to roughly seven to twelve years of typical use — though a heavier door or more frequent use can wear them out sooner.
When your door runs on a pair of torsion springs, we usually suggest replacing them together. They tend to wear at a similar pace, and leaving the older one in place often leads to a second failure soon after.
Contact ProGate Garage Door Service in Tempe, AZ and speak with a technician about getting your garage door spring repair or replacement taken care of.
Call 1 (833) 652-7571