2026-04-11 7 min read
If you've ever walked into your garage on a January morning and heard a sharp metallic bang. followed by a door that won't budge. you already know what a broken torsion spring sounds like. It's one of the most common service calls we get all winter long in Hudson and the surrounding towns of Nashua, Merrimack, and Londonderry. And it almost never happens at a convenient time.
Hudson sits in Hillsborough County with a humid continental climate that swings hard between seasons. Temperatures typically vary from around 17°F in the depths of winter to the mid-80s°F in summer. a spread of nearly 70 degrees over the course of a year. That kind of thermal stress is genuinely punishing on metal components, and garage door springs bear the brunt of it.
Garage door springs. both torsion springs (mounted above the door on a metal shaft) and extension springs (mounted along the horizontal tracks on either side). are made of coiled steel. Steel becomes more brittle as temperatures drop. When the metal contracts in the cold and then expands again during a midday thaw, it's cycling through stress with every temperature swing.
Hudson winters are especially problematic because they're not just cold. they're inconsistently cold. A week of single-digit nights followed by a 45°F afternoon followed by another hard freeze is the norm from December through March. Each freeze-thaw cycle is essentially a small fatigue test for your springs. Over time, that repeated stress causes microscopic cracks in the coil that eventually lead to a full break.
Lubrication also becomes less effective in extreme cold. Many homeowners skip the fall maintenance step of lubricating their springs, rollers, and hinges. and by January, those components are grinding against each other with no protective coating. A spring that might have lasted another two seasons with proper care can snap prematurely because of neglect combined with brutal cold.
Most standard torsion springs are rated for 10,000 cycles. one cycle being a single open-and-close sequence. If you use your garage door four times a day (in and out, morning and evening), you'll hit 10,000 cycles in about seven years. Higher-cycle springs rated for 20,000 or even 30,000 cycles are available and worth the upgrade cost for a door that sees heavy daily use.
For families in Hudson who park two or three cars in the garage and use it as the primary home entrance, cycle count adds up fast. That 1980s split-level on the east side of town with original springs? It's probably long overdue.
Springs rarely fail without some warning. Here's what to watch for:
- The door feels unusually heavy when you lift it manually. A properly balanced door should open with about 10 pounds of resistance. If it feels like you're lifting a refrigerator, the spring tension is compromised. - The door opens unevenly. one side moves faster or higher than the other. This often means one extension spring has failed or stretched while the other is still working. - Visible gaps in the spring coil. A broken torsion spring will show a clear separation in the coil. you can see it from inside the garage without touching anything. - Loud creaking or squeaking during operation, especially in cold weather. This points to inadequate lubrication or a spring that's starting to fatigue. - The opener strains or the door reverses mid-cycle. Your opener isn't powerful enough to compensate for a failing spring. it will trip its safety mechanism instead.
If you notice any of these, check out our cable repair complete guide. cables and springs often fail in tandem and it's worth understanding both systems together.
First: do not attempt to use the door. A garage door without a functioning spring is essentially an unsupported slab of steel weighing 150 to 400 pounds depending on the door style and insulation. Using the opener to force it will burn out the motor. Trying to lift it manually risks serious injury.
Here's the right sequence:
1. Disengage the opener. Pull the red emergency release cord to disconnect the motor from the door. This prevents the opener from attempting to run while the spring is compromised. 2. Do not try to open the door if the spring is visibly broken or the door feels extremely heavy. Leave it in the closed position. 3. Keep the area clear. Keep kids, pets, and vehicles away from the garage until the repair is done. 4. Call a professional. Spring replacement involves components under extreme tension. A torsion spring stores enough energy to cause serious injury if released improperly. This is not a DIY job. and our services include same-day spring repair for exactly these situations.
In southern New Hampshire, a torsion spring replacement typically runs between $150 and $350 depending on the spring size, whether you're replacing one or both, and what else needs attention during the service visit. It's almost always worth replacing both springs at the same time. if one has failed after years of stress, the other is close behind.
When a technician replaces your spring, they should also inspect and lubricate the rollers, hinges, and cables; check the opener's force settings; and test the door balance. Ask for all of this. a good spring replacement visit is a mini-tuneup for the entire system.
If you're on the fence about whether to repair or replace an aging door, consider reading our post on calculating the ROI of insulated doors. sometimes a spring failure on a 20-year-old door is the nudge to make a smarter long-term investment.
The single most effective thing Hudson homeowners can do is lubricate their springs every fall before temperatures drop. Use a garage door-specific spray lubricant (not WD-40, which dries out and attracts dirt). Apply it to the coils of both springs, the rollers, the hinges, and the tracks. It takes ten minutes and it genuinely extends component life.
Beyond lubrication, an annual inspection. especially before winter. catches tension problems, cable fraying, and roller wear before they become emergencies. If you're not sure where to start, our FAQ page covers what a standard inspection includes and what you should expect from a service visit.
Q: Can I open my garage door manually if the spring is broken? A: In most cases, no. not safely. Without spring tension, a typical garage door can weigh several hundred pounds. If the door is fully closed and on its tracks, a strong adult might be able to crack it open a few inches, but forcing it risks injury and damage to the opener. Leave it closed and call for service.
Q: How long does a spring replacement take? A: Most torsion spring replacements take 45 to 90 minutes. An experienced technician will have common spring sizes on the truck and can usually complete the job in a single visit. Same-day service is often available for morning calls.
Q: Should I replace both springs or just the broken one? A: Replace both. If one spring has failed due to age and fatigue, the other is statistically close to the same point. Replacing only the broken one means you'll likely be scheduling another repair call within weeks or months. and paying a second service fee on top of it.