2026-03-24 6 min read
Farmington's housing stock tells the story of a town with deep roots. A significant portion of homes here were built before 1939, and many of the Colonial, Saltbox, and Victorian-era houses that line the older streets near downtown were originally built without garages at all. the attached or detached garage came later, often decades later. That matters for one simple reason: a lot of the garage door spring systems in this town are older than most homeowners realize, and they're operating in a climate that accelerates wear faster than average.
Spring failure is the number one cause of a garage door suddenly refusing to open. And unlike a dead remote battery or a tripped breaker, a broken spring isn't something you can work around. When it goes, the door typically won't move.
Your garage door weighs anywhere from 150 to 300 pounds depending on the size and material. The springs. either torsion springs mounted horizontally above the door or extension springs running along the tracks on each side. counterbalance that weight so the opener only has to do a fraction of the actual lifting. When the springs are working correctly, you could lift most garage doors with one hand. When they're failing, the door becomes impossibly heavy and the opener strains under the load.
Garage door springs are rated by cycles, not years. One cycle equals one full open and close. Most standard torsion springs are rated for around 10,000 cycles, which at average use translates to roughly seven to nine years of service life. Extreme temperature swings. which Farmington sees plenty of. can shorten that lifespan. Moisture and humidity also cause springs to rust over time, and a rusty spring is far more brittle and prone to snapping without warning.
The good news is that springs rarely fail without giving some warning first. Here's what to look for:
Disconnect the opener using the manual release cord and try lifting the door by hand to about waist height. A properly balanced door should stay in place on its own or feel light and manageable. If it feels like you're lifting dead weight, or it drops back down immediately, the springs are likely losing tension or have already failed on one side. This is one of the most reliable tests you can do yourself. If you're not sure how to use the manual release safely, our post on protecting your family with the manual release mechanism is worth reading first.
Look at your torsion spring. the horizontal coil above the door. If you see a gap of roughly two inches or more between coils, the spring has snapped. A healthy spring has tightly wound, uniform coils. Any visible separation means it's broken and the door should not be operated until it's replaced.
In Farmington's climate, moisture is a year-round concern. The Cocheco River runs through the center of town, and the area's rivers, streams, and general New England humidity mean that metal components in uninsulated or poorly ventilated garages rust faster than you might expect. Look for reddish-brown discoloration or flaking on the spring surface. A rusty spring is significantly weaker than a clean one and far more likely to snap under tension.
If your opener sounds like it's working harder than usual. straining, humming longer, stopping before the door is fully open. the springs may not be providing enough counterbalance support. When springs weaken, the opener compensates by doing more of the lifting, which causes premature motor burnout and gear wear. Replacing springs proactively is almost always cheaper than replacing an opener because the springs were allowed to fail completely. For more on motor-related issues, our complete motor repair guide covers what happens when openers are pushed past their limits.
A snapping torsion spring releases a significant amount of stored tension all at once. Many homeowners describe the sound as similar to a gunshot or a car backfiring. If you hear this sound and your door suddenly won't operate, a spring has broken. Stop using the door immediately.
If your door tilts or appears lopsided as it opens and closes, one spring has likely failed while the other is still functioning. The working spring can only support one side, causing the door to rack and potentially jump off its tracks. This puts stress on cables, rollers, and tracks. and turns one repair into three.
A lot of the homes in Farmington that were built or expanded between the 1940s and 1970s used extension springs, which run along the ceiling tracks on either side of the door. These are still common in the area and are more prone to visible wear. including coil gaps and loosened end clips. than modern torsion systems. If your garage is on a home from that era and the springs have never been replaced, there's a reasonable chance they're overdue. Neighbors in nearby Rochester and Barrington often face the same situation with similar-era housing stock.
This is not a DIY repair. Garage door springs are under extreme tension. enough stored energy to cause broken fingers, facial injuries, or worse if released improperly. Specialized winding bars and proper technique are required. Even experienced DIYers who are comfortable with home repairs should leave spring replacement to a professional. The job is done correctly in 60 to 90 minutes by a trained technician, and it's not worth the risk of getting it wrong.
If you're seeing any of these warning signs, reach out to our team to schedule an inspection. Garage Door Farmington serves the surrounding area including Lee, Durham, and Newmarket, and we can usually diagnose a spring issue on the same visit. You can also review our full range of services if you're not sure what type of repair or maintenance your door actually needs.
No. Operating a garage door with a broken spring puts enormous strain on the opener motor and cables, and the door can move erratically or drop suddenly. Stop using the door and call for service. If you need to get a vehicle out, use the manual release carefully. but be aware the door will be very heavy without the spring counterbalance.
Yes, and most professionals will recommend this. If one spring has failed after years of use, the other is likely close behind. Replacing both at the same time means they'll wear evenly going forward and you won't be dealing with another service call a few months down the road. It also costs less than two separate visits.
Torsion springs are the horizontal coil (or coils) mounted on a metal bar directly above the garage door opening. Extension springs run along the horizontal tracks on either side of the door and stretch as the door closes. Many older Farmington-area homes have extension springs; newer builds and updated systems more commonly use torsion springs, which tend to be more durable and last longer.