Garage door issues are never fun, but some are more dangerous than others. If you suspect your garage door springs are old, faulty, or corroded, you need to pay particular attention to the signs that indicate your garage door springs have broken. The springs are responsible for keeping the tension your system needs to raise and lower the door. If these springs snap, the garage door could drop unexpectedly or cause extensive damage if someone tries to use it normally or manually. Make sure you avoid property damage and garage door opener problems by recognizing these signs of broken garage door springs.
You Heard a Loud Bang Coming From Your Garage
Did you hear a loud banging noise originating from your garage shortly before you noticed your garage door stopped working normally? The culprit may be a snapped extension spring.
Even when the door is closed, the spring experiences a great deal of tension. If it was installed improperly or was old, it can break and make an incredibly loud noise. Some people have described it as sounding like someone was trying to break into their home.
While dealing with the repercussions of a broken spring can be frustrating, you can receive immediate assistance from a garage door spring repair technician like those at Verge Entrance Solutions. We’ll send a professional to your home to replace the snapped spring and may even be able to upgrade your system by installing torsion springs so that you can get an even longer service life out of your garage door system.
There’s a Gap Between Your Springs
One of the most obvious signs you have broken garage door springs is a visible gap in the coils of the spring. When a torsion spring is broken, the two pieces will often slide away from each other because of the release of tension. The resulting gaps are obvious, and all you have to do is look at the space above your garage door. If the spring is no longer one long piece, you will want to contact a repair technician for a replacement.
Your Garage Door Only Opens Six Inches
Your garage door springs are responsible for supporting the door’s weight. If the springs snap, they will be unable to open the door fully. In most cases, the opener force feature will only allow the garage door to open about six inches. This feature is vital to keeping the door from falling unexpectedly and preventing the opener system from wearing out when the weight distribution is off. A simple spring replacement can often resolve this problem.
The Door Closes Unexpectedly
If your garage door system lacks the opener force safety feature, you may notice the door crashes closed when a spring breaks. This is because the excess weight of the door prevents the opener from moving the door in a controlled manner. After the spring breaks, your garage door may crash to the ground or close much quicker than normal.
Your Garage Door Hangs Crookedly
There are two types of garage door springs your system may be equipped with: torsion and extension springs. If your system has extension springs, you will notice the mechanisms are located on either side of the door. If one of the springs snaps, the door will hang crookedly. This is because the garage door will rise and lower more on the side with the intact spring. The imbalance not only looks unattractive, but it can also affect the functionality of the opener. For this reason, it’s important to schedule a garage door spring repair as soon as possible.
The Cables Are Loose or Broken
If you’re unsure whether your garage door springs are about to fail, take a look at the cables. Loose cables often indicate malfunctioning springs because the tension these springs provide normally keep cables tightly wound. While rare, cables can also break. If yours are drooped on the garage floor or caught in a jam or the door itself, you know your garage door spring and cable system are out of commission and need to be addressed by a professional right away. If you try to operate a garage door with a broken cable, the results can be disastrous.
Have a Broken Spring? Contact Our Garage Door Specialists Today!
You should never attempt a garage door spring repair or replacement on your own. The work is extremely dangerous and should only be performed by an experienced garage door technician. For residential garage door repair services in Southern Mississippi, turn to Verge Entrance Solutions. We offer each customer the “white glove” experience so that they can feel confident in the work we complete. To learn more about our residential and commercial garage door repair services, contact us today!