Snapped garage door spring in Bonita Springs? Keep the door down
The springs lift the door; the opener only guides it. When one snaps, usually with a bang loud enough to check the whole house, the door turns into dead weight. Leave it closed, unplug the opener and send us a photo by text of the spring bar over the door.
- Time at your house: Around an hour, one spring or both
- Licensed in Florida: CGC15***47
Signs a spring has broken
- A sharp bang from the garage, and nothing on the floor to explain it.
- A split in the coil on the spring bar over the door, often a couple of inches wide.
- The opener strains or hums, and the door lifts a few inches at most.
- The door is suddenly heavy by hand, or falls when you let go of it.
- One side rises ahead of the other, or a cable hangs loose; see cables and off-track doors.
Why springs wear out sooner near the Gulf
Each spring is rated for a set number of cycles, and one trip up and down is a cycle. Salt air and summer humidity put rust on the coils, and rust adds friction and weak spots, so springs in Bonita can give out before the number on their tag. Torsion springs are wound tightest when the door is closed, which is why most of them let go while the door sits shut.
What the spring visit includes
A photo of the springs, and of any sticker on the door, sent ahead lets us load springs that fit. At the house we size the broken spring by its wire, its inside diameter and its length, match the new one to the door's weight, then wind it and balance the door by hand. Where the door has two springs, we recommend changing both, and the written quote prices it each way. With the tension released, cables, drums and bearings get checked, the opener's force is reset, and you get photos of the old springs beside the new ones.
If the car is shut in, treat it as an emergency. Not sure the spring is the problem? Our troubleshooting guide helps sort it out.
Permit
Bonita Springs' list of work exempt from permits (Sec. 10-21) doesn't mention garage door springs, so we check with the city's building department first and tell you their answer.
Garage door spring questions
The size and number of springs your door needs set most of it, and those follow from how heavy and how tall the door is. Worn cables or bearings found along the way, and a visit outside regular hours, add to it. You get the number in writing at the house, before we start.
Yes, if that's what you want, but on a door with two springs we recommend both. The one that held has made the same number of trips and usually fails soon after, and a matched pair keeps the door balanced. The written quote lists both choices.
Roughly an hour, for one spring or two, when the right size is on the truck. That's why a photo of the springs before the visit matters.
Because that's when a torsion spring carries the most tension. Years of cycles and rust from the salt air leave a weak point, and it gives way where the load is highest, which is with the door shut.
Start with a photo
Point your phone at the door, or at the model label on the opener, and send the picture to (239) 880-9274. Calls and texts are answered at any hour, and you'll learn what it looks like, how long the fix should take and our first open slot.
One number for calls and texts. Your call gets answered, day or night.