A garage door that suddenly refuses to open is often a spring problem, not an opener problem. On a recent service visit in Clinton, Massachusetts, a homeowner called us after his door stopped lifting. The cause was a snapped extension spring on the side of the door.
Why the Door Would Not Open
Springs do the heavy lifting on a garage door. The opener only guides the motion. Once one extension spring broke, the door became too heavy for the opener to raise. During the inspection, our technician also found that the lift cables were worn, which can cause a door to hang crooked or come off track.
Repairing the System, Not Just the Broken Part
Extension springs work as a pair and wear at the same rate, so the second spring was near the end of its life as well. Instead of replacing only the broken one, our technician:
- Installed a new matched pair of 25/42/140 lb extension springs sized to the door’s weight.
- Replaced both lift cables with new 7′ pre-assembled 1/8″ cables.
- Adjusted and balanced the door, then tested it through full open and close cycles.
The visit took about two hours, and the door was back to safe, smooth operation the same day. The homeowner later left a 5-star Google review describing our technician as “very professional and fast.” See the Clinton spring repair project for the full service details.
Signs Your Garage Door Spring May Be Broken
- A loud bang from the garage, often when nobody is using the door.
- The door will not open, or rises only a few inches before stopping.
- The door feels much heavier than usual or sits crooked.
- A visible gap in a torsion spring, or a stretched or loose extension spring.
What to Do Until a Technician Arrives
Do not lift the door by hand or keep pressing the opener button. Without working springs, the door’s full weight is unsupported and it can drop suddenly. Keep people and pets clear of the opening, and leave spring and cable work to a trained technician. These parts are under heavy tension.
Garage Door Spring Repair in Clinton and Nearby Towns
Triple A Garage Doors serves Clinton and surrounding communities from our Waltham location, 24/7, and estimates are always free. Learn more about our garage door repair services, call us at 781-609-7806, or contact Triple A Garage Doors to schedule service.
