The January bang: why Lubbock springs break on cold mornings and what to do about it
Every December and January the spring calls come in bunches, almost always first thing in the morning, almost always after the first hard cold. The physics is simple and the door does not care that you have somewhere to be. Here is why it happens, how to see it coming, what to do when it does, and why the right repair is two springs, not one.
Why the cold
A torsion spring is a long coil of steel under heavy tension, wound to balance the weight of the door, and it is rated for a number of cycles, commonly 10,000, which on a door used four times a day is about seven years. Steel near the end of that count has fatigue cracks too small to see. Overnight cold does two things to it: it contracts the steel a fraction, raising the stress in the coil, and it stiffens the lubricant so the spring binds slightly as it starts to unwind. The first lift of a cold morning asks the most of a spring that has the least left, and it lets go, with a bang that sounds like something fell in the garage. Dust plays its part too: grit worked into the coils and the end bearings adds friction and wear, so Lubbock springs reach the end of their count sooner than clean ones.
How to see it coming
Look at the spring above the door in the fall. Rust on the coils is a bad sign; a gap between coils that should be tight is a spring that has already lost tension; a door that feels heavy when you disconnect the opener and lift it by hand at the halfway point is a spring near the end. A door that has had one spring replaced years ago and not the other has an old spring waiting. Any of those in November is worth replacing before the cold picks its own morning, and a fall tune-up is when it gets caught.
When it goes
The door will not lift, or lifts a few inches and stops, and the opener hums or strains. Do not pull the red release cord with the door up; without the spring the door is dead weight and it will come down with nothing holding it. Do not keep running the opener; it was never built to lift the door alone and every attempt strips the gear. If the car is inside and you have to get out, two adults can sometimes lift a single door with the opener disconnected and the door already down, but it is heavy and it is how fingers get crushed; calling is the better plan. A broken spring is a same-day repair across Lubbock and the towns around it.
Why two springs
A door with two torsion springs that has broken one has a second spring with the same cycle count and the same fatigue. Replacing only the broken one leaves the door unbalanced, which strains the opener, and leaves the old spring weeks or months from its own bang. A matched pair, sized to the door's measured weight, is cheaper than two visits and the door runs right in between. The high-cycle option, 25,000 cycles and up, costs more today and lasts two to three times as long, which on a busy family door, a rental or any door the owner does not want to think about again is the better buy. Cables, drums and the end bearings are checked at the same time, the door is balanced by hand and the opener's force and limits are reset.
What it costs
Spring hardware runs $65 to $85 per spring in the 2026 guides and the installed repair $150 to $375 depending on the type and whether it is one spring or a pair; the service call folds into it. Winter does not change the price, and neither does the hour.
Common questions
Why did it break at six in the morning?
The first cold lift of the day on a spring near the end of its cycles. Cold contracts the steel and stiffens the lubricant, and the fatigue cracks finish.
Can I lift the door to get my car out?
With the opener disconnected and the door down, two adults can sometimes lift a single door, but it is dead weight and it is how people get hurt. Do not pull the release with the door up. Calling is the better plan.
Why replace both springs?
Same age, same cycles, same fatigue. One new and one old leaves the door unbalanced and the old one weeks from breaking.
How do I know if mine is about to go?
Rust on the coils, a gap between coils, a door that feels heavy when lifted by hand with the opener disconnected, or one spring visibly newer than the other. Replace before winter.
Are high-cycle springs worth it?
On a busy door or a rental, yes: two to three times the life for a modest premium.
Is a winter spring repair more expensive?
No. Same range, same service call, same day.
Related: Spring repair · Emergency repair · Tune-up · Repair cost