Torsion vs extension, cycle life, replacement cost, and warning signs — an honest Northern Colorado guide to the part that does all the lifting.
Springs counterbalance the weight of the door. A 16-foot insulated double door can weigh 350 pounds; properly tensioned springs make it feel like 8. When a spring breaks, the door does not get a little harder to lift — it becomes the full dead weight of the door.
Springs are also the one component we ask homeowners not to touch. A torsion spring stores enough energy to break bones, and the winding bars, cones, and set screws are unforgiving of guesswork.
Springs are rated in cycles — one open and one close equals one cycle. A builder-grade spring is typically rated around 10,000 cycles. A family that opens the door four times a day burns through that in roughly seven years.
High-cycle springs rated 25,000 to 50,000 cycles cost modestly more and often double or triple the service interval. On any door that cycles heavily, that math favors the upgrade every time.
On a two-spring door, both springs have absorbed the same cycles. Replacing only the broken one leaves a used spring that has already spent most of its life next to a brand-new one. The second failure usually arrives within a year or two, and you pay a second service call for the same job.
Replacing the pair also keeps the door balanced. A mismatched pair pulls unevenly, which wears cables, drums, and rollers on one side faster than the other.
A door that jerks or hesitates on the way up. A visible gap in the spring coil. Cables that go slack at the top of travel. A door that will not stay put halfway when disconnected from the opener. An opener that suddenly sounds like it is straining.
The loud bang people describe as a gunshot in the garage is usually a torsion spring letting go — often overnight, when temperature drop puts the final stress on tired steel.
Northern Colorado sees a spike in spring breaks during the first hard freeze of the season. Cold makes steel less ductile, and a spring already near the end of its cycle life fails at the moment the temperature drops.
If your springs are eight or more years old heading into November, a tune-up that measures balance and inspects the coils is cheap insurance against a January emergency call.
Standard springs last roughly seven to ten years at typical usage. High-cycle springs commonly last fifteen or more. Cycle count, not calendar age, is the real driver.
We strongly advise against it. Torsion springs store enough energy to cause serious injury, and the winding process requires proper bars and technique. This is the one repair worth paying for every time.
Yes, when they are the same age. The surviving spring has the same wear and typically fails within a year or two, which means paying for a second service call.
Temperature drop. Cold steel is more brittle, and a spring at the end of its cycle life often gives out during the coldest hours.
Yes. Do not try to force the door open, and do not run the opener — a door with a broken spring can drop. Disconnect the opener and call for service.