You may be able to move it, but you should not. The spring carries the door's weight, and the opener is not designed to lift the full door without spring help. Running the opener can burn out the motor or strip gears, and a door lifted by hand can slam shut. Stop using it and call a technician.
Why the spring matters
The spring does the lifting. The opener mainly guides a door that the spring has already balanced. CPSC describes a properly operating door as one that stays in place when stopped in any partly open position, and warns that a severely unbalanced door could crash to the floor and strike someone under it.
When the spring breaks, the door is no longer balanced, and every way of moving it puts a load on something that was not made to carry it.
What can go wrong
- The opener is damaged. Raynor warns that running the opener against a broken spring can burn out the motor or strip the gears.
- The door falls. A door held up by a strained opener or by your hands can drop without warning.
- You are hurt. Lifting a heavy door by hand risks your back, and the door can slam shut on your hands.
Do and do not
Do
- Stop using the remote and wall button
- Keep people and pets clear of the door
- Pull the red release handle only if the door is fully closed
- Take photos of the spring and cables
- Call a technician
Do not
- Do not press the button again to see if it works
- Do not lift the door by hand
- Do not pull the release handle with the door part open
- Do not wind, loosen or remove the spring
- Do not prop the door open and walk under it
If your car is stuck inside
If the door is partly open, do not pull the red release handle. The door can crash down. If it is fully closed, tell a technician before trying to open it, so that it can be done without the door falling.
A garage door with a broken spring can be very awkward when your car is inside. Call, explain what you heard and saw, and ask how to get the car out safely. A technician can secure the door and open it with the right tools. For doors that are working normally, see how to open a garage door manually. That advice does not apply to a door with a broken spring.
What to do, step by step
Stop
Do not use the opener again. Tell everyone in the house not to use the wall button or remotes.
Look from a distance
On a torsion spring, a gap in the coil above the door confirms the break. See signs of a broken spring.
Keep the door as it is
Leave a closed door closed, and keep clear of a door that is partly open.
Call and describe it
Say what you heard, whether the door is open or closed, and whether a cable looks loose.
Why this is a technician's job
The Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA) says spring systems are dangerous and should be repaired only by trained professionals, and Chamberlain says never to adjust the door, springs, cables or hardware because they are under extreme tension. A technician replaces the springs with ones matched to your door, checks the cables, balances the door and tests the safety reverse.
Our typical price for a torsion spring pair is $250 to $450 and we confirm the final price after we see the door. See garage door spring repair. We repair doors in Atascadero, Atwater and Apple Valley. Call (213) 340-4232 or use the estimate form.
Questions people ask
Can a garage door work with a broken spring?
The opener may move it a little, but the opener is not designed to lift the full door without the spring. It can burn out the motor or strip gears, so stop using it.
Is it safe to operate a garage door with a broken spring?
No. The door can fall, the opener can be damaged and lifting by hand can hurt you. Stop and call a technician.
Can I pull the red release handle on a door with a broken spring?
Only when the door is fully closed. If it is partly open, the door can crash down.
Why is my garage door so heavy to lift by hand?
The spring is what balances the door. With a broken spring, you are lifting the whole weight.
Related services
Need help near you?
We repair and install in these cities. Each page has local notes, prices and reviews.
Keep reading
Sources
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Non-Reversing Automatic Garage Door Openers Are a Hazard (Pub. 523)
- Raynor Garage Doors: signs of a broken garage door spring
- Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA): Garage Doors safety tips
- Chamberlain Group support: How to test the balance of a garage door