Problems · Won't open
Garage door won't open
A loud bang and a door that won't lift mean a spring has almost certainly snapped. Leave the door down and call.
Look before you touch anything
Look at the bar above the door. A gap in the spring's coil means it snapped.
Check both sides of the door for a lift cable hanging loose.
If the springs look whole and the opener makes no sound and shows no light, check its outlet and the breaker.
If the motor hums and the door stays down, it's a different problem: Opener runs, door doesn't move.
What stops a door from opening
- A snapped torsion spring. The spring carries the door's weight, and the opener only guides it.
- A snapped lift cable, which can drop one side and jam the door
- No power at the opener: a tripped outlet or breaker, or a logic board that failed after a surge
- A stripped opener gear or a pulled release cord, when the motor runs and nothing moves
One spring replaced starts at $285, and the whole door gets a tune-up on the same visit. A weekend visit costs the same as a weekday one.
What can raise it
- Both springs worn at once (the pair starts at $445)
- A heavy or oversized door
- A cable or drum that went along with the spring
You get the exact figure at the door, before the old spring comes off.
Leave the opener off
Without the spring holding it, a double door's full 150 to 300 pounds lands on the opener, which is rated to pull a fraction of that. Running it can strip the gear, and then you need a spring and an opener repair. Don't try to lift the door by hand either. With no spring, it can drop the moment you let go. Leave the springs alone too, since one that hasn't snapped is still wound with enough force to break bones. If you need the car out, call, even after hours.
Questions
Why can't my opener lift the door?
The spring does the heavy lifting. The motor only steers the door. With the spring snapped, the opener is pulling far more weight than it's built for, so it strains and stops.
Does the other spring need replacing too?
If the door has two, usually yes. Both springs age together, so the second tends to break within months of the first. The pair starts at $445, tune-up included.
How long does the repair take?
About an hour for one spring. The truck carries springs, so it's usually finished on the first visit.