Garage door i can see a gap in the spring
This is almost always a the torsion spring has snapped. Repair costs $220 to $580 and takes 60 to 90 minutes. Safe to operate: No.
Check this first — it may cost you nothing
You have already confirmed it. Springs are always replaced in pairs, because the second one has taken identical load and is at the same point of fatigue.
Why this happens
An intact torsion spring is tightly wound with no space between coils. A visible gap of two to three inches is the spring having fractured and unwound slightly at the break — the single most definite diagnosis on this list.
That gap is the diagnosis. The spring has fractured and the door has lost its counterbalance — do not lift it, and do not run the opener.
Less likely, but possible
- Both springs broken, if the door has two and has been left a while
- A spring that has come loose at the winding cone rather than fractured
What happens if I ignore it?
The opener cannot lift the door without the spring and will strip its drive gear trying. Beyond that, the door has nothing holding it up.
The repair: spring repair
Garage door torsion spring replacement costs $220 to $580 for a pair, including parts and labor, and takes 60 to 90 minutes. A broken spring makes the door unsafe to operate — the opener cannot lift the weight without it.
Read the full spring repair guide →Get a tech dispatched
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