Can You Open a Garage Door With a Broken Spring?

Springs play a vital role when operating your garage door. These coiled mechanisms do the hard work of providing balance and stability when opening or closing the door. 

High-quality springs can offer years of reliable service, but they will eventually break. Most springs are engineered for 10,000 cycles — the number of times you can expect to open and close the door before the spring breaks — although more advanced models can perform up to 20,000 cycles. As springs approach the end of their life expectancy, the effects of wear and tear increase the breakage risk. 

Excessive rust can also cause garage door springs to weaken and break by increasing friction on the coils during opening and closing. Infrequent preventive maintenance is another factor that can shorten a spring’s life span. 

The Dangers of Broken Springs

Besides impacting your garage door’s performance, a broken spring can be dangerous. When a spring snaps, it releases stored tension that can transform it into a deadly projectile, potentially causing severe or fatal injuries.

Due to the potential dangers, attempting to repair or replace a broken spring is not a do-it-yourself project. Always call a professional garage door technician to handle the job.

Can You Open a Garage Door After the Spring Has Broken?

While opening a garage door with a broken spring is possible, it’s better not to attempt it for safety reasons. Your door’s opener won’t be able to handle the door’s weight, which can be up to 500 pounds, without the support of springs. If you need to open the door due to an emergency or another reason, you’ll have to do so manually. 

Opening a Garage Door With a Broken Spring Manually

Because of the door’s heaviness, you’ll likely need another person to assist you. Start by making sure the bottom of the door is touching the ground and disengage the opener by pulling the red cord. Then, both of you should slowly raise the door until it is completely open. 

Once you raise the door, it could come crashing down because the broken springs can no longer balance and support it. Place a tall, stable object underneath the door to brace it and prevent this from happening.

Contact Ingstrup Garage Doors Today

If you have a broken spring in Lansing or Grand Rapids, MI, Ingstrup Garage Doors can meet your needs. Spring repairs and replacements are a focus of our business, and we back our work with a lifetime warranty. 

Contact us today to schedule a service appointment.