A garage door that slams shut or drops fast has usually lost its counterbalance: a spring is broken or worn, or a cable has slipped. Chamberlain says a door that slams when released partway is out of balance and needs a trained technician. Stop using it, keep people clear and do not adjust springs or cables yourself.
Springs hold up most of a garage door's weight. Clopay explains that they counterbalance the door so it lifts with little effort and the opener does not strain. When the springs weaken, break or stop matching the door, that weight comes down on the cables, the tracks and whatever is under the door.
That is why a failed spring can make a door slam shut or fall. The door is not misbehaving. It has lost the part that was slowing it down.
Our guide to the signs of a broken spring shows what each one looks like.
An opener is not built to hold up a door that has lost its springs. Leave the door where it is and keep people and pets away until a technician has looked at it.
Stand to the side. Check for a gap in the spring coil, a frayed or loose cable, a crooked door or a loud bang you heard earlier. If you see any of these, stop. You already have your answer.
If it is closed, leave it closed. If it is open, do not walk or park under it, and do not try to hold it up.
Chamberlain's balance test has you disconnect the opener, lift the door 3 to 4 feet and let go. A balanced door stays put or moves slowly. A door that slams or shoots upward is out of balance. If your door already falls fast, it is telling you the result, so do not lift it to prove it.
Chamberlain warns that an unbalanced door may not reverse when it should, which creates a risk of serious injury. Springs, cables and brackets are under extreme tension and are never a homeowner adjustment.
Sometimes the door lowers gently by hand and the problem shows up only at the floor. Clopay says that if the door hits the ground before the opener expects it to, adjusting the limit switches may help. The owner's manual shows how for your model. After any change, run the reverse test in our safety test guide. If the door is heavy, binds or drops by hand, this is a balance problem and not a settings problem.
A spring pair for a standard two-car door is $250 to $450 with us, and heavy-duty springs are $350 to $900. One spring is $180 to $300, though we usually replace both. A cable pair is $175 to $350. Our 12-point safety inspection is $89. The final price is confirmed after we see the door and before we start. See what a spring job includes and our spring repair page.
Emil Garage Doors repairs springs and cables across Southern California, for example in Buena Park, Chula Vista and Belmont. Call (213) 340-4232 or send the estimate form and tell us what the door does and what you can see.
Most often the springs no longer counterbalance the door because one is broken or worn, or a cable has slipped. Stop using the door and have a technician inspect it.
No. Chamberlain warns that an unbalanced door may not reverse when required, which creates a risk of serious injury or death.
No. Springs, cables and brackets are under extreme tension, and Clopay says spring adjustment and replacement should be done by a qualified professional.
It is not meant to. The springs carry the door's weight, and an opener forced to lift it strains and may stop. Leave the door alone and call for repair.
We repair and install in these cities. Each page has local notes, prices and reviews.
Call (213) 340-4232 or send your details for the soonest visit.