2026-03-17 7 min read
Most homeowners in Somerset don't think much about their garage door springs until one breaks. usually on a cold February morning when the door won't budge and the car is stuck inside. Springs are the unsung workhorse of your garage door system. They do the heavy lifting, literally, and when they fail it's often sudden and without much warning.
Here's a straightforward look at how springs work, how long they last, what shortens that lifespan in our climate, and what to do when one breaks.
Your garage door. whether it's a single or double. weighs somewhere between 130 and 350 pounds depending on material and size. The springs are what make it possible to lift that weight with minimal effort. They store mechanical energy when the door closes and release it when the door opens, acting as a counterbalance to the door's weight.
Without functioning springs, your opener motor would have to do all the work alone. Most residential openers aren't designed for that. If a spring breaks and you try to force the door open electrically, you'll likely burn out the motor. which turns a spring repair into a much more expensive problem. This is also why it's worth understanding how your motor fits into the overall system before assuming the opener is the issue.
Torsion springs mount horizontally above the door along a metal shaft. When the door closes, the spring winds up and stores energy. When the door opens, it unwinds, providing the force to lift. Torsion springs are the more common setup in newer homes and tend to last longer due to how the stress is distributed.
Extension springs run along the horizontal tracks on either side of the door, stretching and contracting with each cycle. They're found more often on older homes. and Somerset has no shortage of those. The Historic Village neighborhood alone has homes ranging from mid-century ranches to Colonial Revivals built as far back as the 1860s, many of which still have original or older garage hardware. Extension springs generally have a shorter lifespan than torsion springs.
Standard torsion springs are rated for approximately 10,000 cycles. With average household use of three to four door cycles per day, that works out to roughly seven to ten years under normal conditions.
The key phrase is "normal conditions." Somerset's climate complicates the math.
Somerset has a humid continental climate with cold, snowy winters and warm, muggy summers. Temperatures regularly swing from the low 20s°F in winter to the low 80s°F in summer. The town averages about 33 inches of snow annually and nearly 49 inches of precipitation total. That's a lot of moisture, and moisture is the enemy of metal springs.
Here's what actually happens in our winters:
- Cold makes steel brittle. When temperatures drop, steel contracts and becomes less flexible. A spring that was holding up fine in October may snap in January under the same load, because cold-stressed metal has less capacity to flex under tension. - Freeze-thaw cycles accelerate fatigue. We don't stay frozen all winter here in southern Massachusetts. temperatures bounce above and below freezing repeatedly. Each cycle stresses the metal a little more. - Moisture causes rust. High humidity and precipitation mean springs that aren't well-lubricated start showing corrosion. Rust increases coil-to-coil friction on every open and close, wearing the spring down faster with each cycle.
Spring failures spike in January and February for exactly these reasons. If your springs are five or more years old heading into a Somerset winter, they're worth having inspected before the cold sets in.
If your garage door suddenly feels heavier or the opener strains noticeably, the springs may have weakened or partially failed. A properly balanced door should stay in place when manually lifted to waist height and released.
A broken torsion spring often makes a sound like a gunshot when it snaps. If you hear a sharp bang from the garage. especially on a cold morning. that's almost certainly a spring failure.
Look at the spring itself. A gap between coils (on a torsion spring) means it's broken. Orange or brown rust on the coils means accelerated wear is underway and replacement should be on the near-term agenda.
Worn springs lose their ability to control the door's descent. A door that drops instead of lowering smoothly is a safety hazard and a sign the springs are near the end of their life.
Honestly: no. Garage door springs are under enormous tension. enough to cause serious injury if released suddenly or incorrectly. This is one of those repairs where the risk-to-reward ratio strongly favors calling a professional. Incorrect spring sizing or winding can also cause immediate failure or put uneven stress on the rest of your system.
For Taunton-area homeowners, Swansea residents, and everyone in between, the services available through Garage Door Somerset include proper spring sizing, installation, and system balancing. making sure the whole door, not just the broken component, is working as it should.
The best time to deal with spring issues is before they become emergencies. A professional inspection each fall. before temperatures in Somerset consistently drop below freezing. lets a technician spot wear that will lead to winter failure and replace the springs while conditions are good. It's also when lubrication makes the biggest difference: a thin coat of lubricant before cold weather sets in reduces the friction and moisture exposure that shortens spring life.
If you're thinking about whether your door is ready for winter more broadly, our cold weather preparation guide covers the full checklist. springs are just one piece of it.
Book a spring inspection or repair before the next cold snap catches you off guard.
Q: How do I know if I have torsion or extension springs? A: Look above the door when it's closed. If there's a horizontal metal bar with one or two coiled springs mounted along it, those are torsion springs. If instead you see springs running along the horizontal tracks on the left and right sides of the door, those are extension springs. Extension springs are common on older Somerset homes.
Q: My garage door opens a few inches and stops. is that the spring? A: Possibly. A broken spring often prevents the door from opening fully because the opener can't compensate for the lost counterbalancing force. Some openers have a built-in safety feature that stops operation when they detect unusual resistance. Don't force it. stop using the door manually or electrically and call for a repair.
Q: Can I replace just one spring if only one breaks? A: You can, but most professionals recommend replacing both at the same time. If one spring has broken after years of use, the other is typically at a similar point in its lifespan and will likely fail within months. Replacing both saves you a second service call and ensures the door is balanced correctly.