In this blog entry, the professional Chicago garage door spring repair service experts here at Garage Door Chicago will detail the dangers of opening a garage door with a broken spring.

All garage springs, for the most part – even expensive, high-quality springs – break over time. Most springs are built to last 10,000 opening and closing cycles, and some can last around 20,000 cycles. Eventually, wear and tear increases the risk of garage spring breakage, as well as rust or limited maintenance.

Why are broken garage springs so dangerous?

Broken garage springs are super dangerous. When springs snap they release a ton of stored tension, sending them flying as a fast projectile which can cause serious injuries or even death. This is why we stress to NEVER TRY TO REPAIR OR REPLACE A BROKEN GARAGE SPRING BY YOURSELF. 

Can garage doors be opened after springs break?

Never try to do this. It’s likely the opener will not be able to handle the doors weight without the help of springs. You will need to open the door manually, but only do so if you’re certain it’s safe.

How can I manually open a garage door with a broken spring?

Since the garage door is very heavy, you wll likely need assistance from someone else. Make sure the bototm of the garage door is touching the ground (this is ESSENTIAL FOR SAFETY) and then disengage the garage opener by pulling the red cord. Then, with assistance, slowly raise the door until its open. Keep in mind that it can suddenly come crashign down because the springs may not be able to balance and support it – so make sure to put a tall and stable item ike a sturdy ladder right under the door when it’s raised to brace it and prevent ths potentiallyd eadly event from occuring.