My Garage Door Spring Just Snapped — What To Do (Adelaide Guide)

A snapped torsion spring is the most common urgent garage door call we see across Adelaide. There’s a loud bang as the spring fails — it can be heard from inside the house — and then the door just won’t open. The motor strains and stops. The car’s stuck inside (or, worse, you’re stuck outside on the way to work).

Here’s what to do, in order, while you wait for a technician.

Step 1: Don’t run the motor

Resist the temptation to keep pressing the remote. Most garage door openers are sized to assist the springs, not to lift the door alone. Running the motor on a sprung-down door:

• Strips the drive gear (turning a $220–$320 spring fix into a spring repair plus a $220–$380 drive-gear repair)
• Burns out the capacitor (turning the spring fix into a full opener replacement)
• In rare cases, can pop the cables off the drum, escalating to off-track damage

If you’ve already pressed the remote 5-6 times trying to figure out why the door’s not moving, stop now.

Step 2: Identify whether one or both springs failed

Most residential doors have one or two torsion springs. Have a look (don’t touch — they’re under significant tension even after a “snap”):

• One spring: you’ll see a clear gap or split in the wound coil. The other coil looks intact.
• Both springs: less common but possible if both have aged similarly. Both coils show breaks.

Take a photo. Your technician will use the photo to confirm parts to bring on the van.

Step 3: Get the car out (if you can)

If the door is fully open and stable, drive the car out. Don’t try if:

• The door is partly open (mid-travel)
• The door is sagging in the middle
• The cables look loose or off the drum

If the car can’t come out, plan to take a rideshare or rearrange — don’t commit to a meeting on the assumption a technician will be there within hours.

Step 4: Manual release the opener

Most openers have a manual-release pull cord (red plastic handle) that disengages the motor from the door. With the motor disengaged, you can lift the door manually IF the springs are fully intact (they’re not, in your case), or you can leave the door wherever it is without the motor straining.

Pull the manual release. If you can lift the door manually, fine — leave it open enough to get through. If you can’t (because the springs are gone), don’t force it. Leave it closed.

Step 5: Don’t try to replace the spring yourself

We say this every time and we’ll say it again: torsion-spring replacement is dangerous. The springs are wound to several hundred PSI. Rebound during a botched replacement has caused serious injuries (broken wrists, eye injuries, hand fractures) — in Australia and overseas. The job needs purpose-built spring-winding bars and a known-good technique. The $220–$320 a technician charges is genuinely cheap insurance against an ER visit.

Step 6: Call or submit a quote request

Submit through the quote form and we’ll get back to you within 24–48 hours — your details come straight to us, no call-centre handler.

What you’ll pay

• Single torsion spring replacement: $220-$320
• Pair of springs replaced: $360-$480 (recommended if both are aged similarly)
• Call-out fee: $90-$140, waived if work proceeds.

Why both springs at once

If your door has two torsion springs and one’s snapped at year nine, the second is approaching failure. Replacing both at once means one call-out fee instead of two, matched spring tension (better for the motor), and no second failure in the next 6-18 months. Most Adelaide technicians quote both by default.

Related guides

For broader troubleshooting, see common Adelaide garage door problems we fix. For the cost detail, Adelaide spring replacement pricing.