2026-03-30 7 min read
If you've ever walked into your garage on a January morning and heard a loud bang echoing through the walls. only to find your door completely stuck. you already know what a broken torsion spring feels like. It's one of the most common calls we get from homeowners in Fitzwilliam, and it's not random. There's a real reason it happens here more than in milder parts of the country, and understanding that reason can help you catch the problem before it strands you.
Fitzwilliam sits at around 1,000 feet of elevation in Cheshire County, and the weather here is not gentle. Winters bring average January lows down to around 16°F, with temperatures swinging well above freezing on warmer afternoons before dropping again overnight. That pattern. freeze, thaw, freeze, thaw. is exactly what accelerates metal fatigue in garage door springs.
Garage door springs are made of tightly wound steel, which naturally contracts when exposed to cold air. As the metal contracts, the spring becomes more brittle and less flexible, making it more susceptible to breaking under tension. In a place like Fitzwilliam, where snowfall accumulates across roughly 54 days per year and temperatures routinely swing across the freezing point, those stress cycles compound quickly. Each expansion and contraction creates microscopic fractures in the coil structure. By late February or March. after months of accumulated fatigue. springs that were already near the end of their rated cycle life simply give way.
This isn't a fluke and it's not a sign you've done anything wrong. It's a geography and climate issue that affects homes throughout Cheshire County, from Fitzwilliam through Troy and into Keene.
Most builder-grade torsion springs installed on residential garage doors are rated for around 10,000 cycles. roughly 7 to 10 years for a household that uses the garage door two to four times a day. High-cycle springs can be rated for 25,000 cycles or more, lasting significantly longer in our climate.
If your home was built in the 1980s or 1990s and you've never replaced the springs, you're likely running on borrowed time. Fitzwilliam has a mix of older colonial and Cape-style homes near the historic common area. many of them with attached garages that see heavy daily use as the primary home entrance. If your garage is your front door in practice, those springs are cycling far more than average.
When you're budgeting for a repair, it's worth reading our tips for making smart garage door decisions. upgrading to high-cycle springs at replacement time often costs a modest amount more upfront but saves you another service call in five years.
Springs rarely fail completely without giving you some notice first. Here's what to look for:
Disconnect your opener and try lifting the door manually to about waist height, then let go. A properly balanced door should stay in place. If it falls or rises on its own, the springs are losing tension and the counterbalance system is failing.
If the door rises crookedly or hesitates mid-travel, one spring may be weakening faster than the other. Two-spring systems often show this symptom weeks before one spring snaps entirely.
Look above the door when it's closed. Torsion springs should be continuous, tightly wound coils. If you notice a gap of roughly 2 inches or more in the spring, it has already snapped. Do not operate the door.
Some noise is normal, but sudden loud pops or grinding on opening can indicate the spring is misaligned, dry, or close to its breaking point. A squeaking sound that wasn't there last season is worth taking seriously.
Your opener is designed to work with a balanced door. If the springs are losing tension, the motor has to work significantly harder. Over time, this shortens the opener's lifespan too.
Garage door springs store a significant amount of tension. enough to cause serious injury if mishandled. This is not a DIY repair. Do not attempt to manually adjust, wind, or replace springs without professional tools and training. If you suspect a spring has broken, stop using the door entirely and reach out to schedule a service call.
For more context on what to expect from a professional visit and how to keep your door ready for New England winters, those resources are worth bookmarking now rather than after a failure.
If your springs are more than seven years old, consider scheduling a proactive inspection before summer, when garage usage typically increases. Catching a spring near the end of its life on your terms. rather than on a cold Monday morning when your car is stuck inside. is always the better outcome. Garage Door Fitzwilliam offers spring inspections as part of routine service calls, so you're not just fixing one thing in isolation but getting a full picture of your door's condition.
To understand all the services available to Fitzwilliam homeowners, or to check if your address falls within our coverage area, visit our service areas page.
Q: Can I still use my garage door if I think a spring is broken? No. Operating a door with a broken spring puts enormous strain on the opener motor and cables, and the door could drop unexpectedly. Keep the door closed and call a professional before using it again.
Q: Should I replace both springs at the same time? In most cases, yes. especially if both springs are the same age. If one has broken, the other has experienced the same number of stress cycles and is likely close behind. Replacing both at once saves labor costs and prevents a second failure shortly after.
Q: How do I know if I have torsion or extension springs? Torsion springs are mounted horizontally above the door on a metal shaft. Extension springs run along the horizontal tracks on both sides of the door. Torsion systems are more common on newer doors and are generally safer and longer-lasting.