Why Is My Garage Door So Heavy? 5 Signs of a Broken Torsion Spring
Have you ever tried to open your garage door manually only to find that it feels like you are trying to lift a literal ton of bricks? Or perhaps you pressed the wall button, and your garage door opener struggled for a second before giving up entirely. If your garage door has suddenly become an immovable object, you aren't dealing with a motor problem—you are likely dealing with a broken torsion spring.
In a standard American home, the garage door is the largest and heaviest moving object. While we think of the electric opener as the "muscle," it is actually the torsion spring that does the heavy lifting. When that spring snaps, all that weight is left unsupported. Understanding why your door feels so heavy and recognizing the warning signs can save you from damaging your opener or, worse, causing a serious injury.
The Science of the Lift: Why Weight Matters
Most residential garage doors weigh between 150 and 300 pounds. A torsion spring works by storing mechanical energy through torque. As the door closes, the steel coils are wound tight. When you go to open the door, that stored energy is released, pulling the weight of the door upward.
When a spring is functioning correctly, you should be able to lift the door with just one hand using a few pounds of force. If the spring is broken, the "counterbalance" is gone. Your garage door opener is designed to move a balanced door; it is not built to lift dead weight. Continuing to use the opener when the door is heavy will quickly burn out the logic board or the gear assembly.
5 Clear Signs Your Torsion Spring is Broken
If you suspect your spring has failed, look for these five definitive indicators before you attempt to operate the door again.
1. The Visible Gap in the Coil
This is the most obvious sign. Torsion springs are located on a metal shaft directly above the door header. When they break, they don't just crack; they snap and unwind instantly. This leaves a 2-inch to 3-inch gap between two sections of the coil. If you see a space in the middle of your spring, it is officially out of commission.
2. A Loud "Bang" from the Garage
Many homeowners describe the sound of a breaking torsion spring as a gunshot, a firework, or a heavy suitcase hitting the floor. Because the steel is under such high tension, the release of energy is incredibly loud. If you heard a mysterious crash while you were inside the house, the garage should be the first place you check.
3. The Door Opens Only a Few Inches
Garage door openers have a built-in safety sensor. When the motor detects that the door is significantly heavier than it should be, the "force adjustment" kicks in and stops the cycle. If your door moves up about 6 inches and then stops or reverses, it’s a sign that the motor cannot overcome the lack of spring tension.
4. The Emergency Release Cord is Impossible to Use
If you pull the red emergency release handle to operate the door manually and you still cannot lift it more than a foot off the ground, the spring is definitely broken. Without the counterbalance of the torsion system, a standard steel or wood door is too heavy for the average person to lift safely.
5. Loose or "Bird-Nested" Cables
The torsion spring is connected to drums that hold the lifting cables. When the spring snaps and loses tension, the cables often lose their grip on the drums. You might see the steel cables hanging off the sides of the door or tangled around the shaft. Do not touch these cables, as they can still be under erratic tension.
Why Torsion Springs Break
Even the highest quality steel has a lifespan. Most residential springs are manufactured for 10,000 cycles. A "cycle" is one full opening and closing of the door. If you use your garage door four times a day, you can expect your springs to last roughly 7 to 10 years.
Metal Fatigue: The constant winding and unwinding eventually causes the steel to become brittle.
Rust and Corrosion: Rust increases friction between the coils and weakens the metal, leading to premature failure.
Temperature Swings: Extreme cold can make steel more prone to snapping, which is why many springs break during the first cold snap of winter.
What to Do Next
If your garage door is too heavy to lift, stop trying to use the electric opener immediately. You could turn a $200 spring repair into a $600 opener replacement.
Because torsion springs require specialized winding bars and are under enough pressure to be life-threatening, this is one repair that is best left to a professional technician. A pro can identify the exact wire size and length needed to perfectly balance your specific door, ensuring it operates smoothly for another decade.
The Ultimate Guide to Fixing a Garage Door Spring Safely and Effectively