2026-03-18 7 min read
If your garage door suddenly feels like it's fighting you every morning, don't ignore it. In La Puente, where so many homes are the classic single-story ranch-style houses built in the 1950s and 1960s, a lot of those original attached garages are still running on hardware that's decades old. or springs replaced just once. Knowing when your springs are starting to go can save you from a full breakdown at the worst possible time.
La Puente sits in the San Gabriel Valley and gets the full range of Southern California weather stress. Summers regularly push into the high 80s and low 90s, and the area experiences a long, arid dry season from roughly April through December. That prolonged heat and UV exposure takes a real toll on metal components. Then, from December through February, the rain arrives. and with it, temperature swings between daytime highs and cooler nights. Those repeated cycles of expansion and contraction accelerate wear on springs that are already logging thousands of open-and-close cycles per year.
Most standard garage door springs are rated for about 10,000 cycles. If your household uses the garage door as the main entry point. which is extremely common in La Puente neighborhoods. you're burning through those cycles faster than you think.
One of the clearest signs of a broken torsion spring is a sudden loud bang. many homeowners describe it as sounding like a gunshot or a heavy object dropping. When a spring snaps under tension, it releases energy with a sharp noise. If you hear this, stop using the door immediately and contact a technician before trying to operate it again.
Garage door springs do the actual heavy lifting. they counterbalance a door that can weigh over 300 pounds. When a spring weakens or breaks, the door suddenly feels much heavier than normal. If your opener is straining audibly or you're manually lifting the door and it's putting up a fight, the springs may no longer be doing their share of the work. Continuing to run the opener in this condition can burn out the motor.
If your door tilts to one side while opening, that's a strong signal that one spring has failed while the other hasn't. This imbalance puts extra strain on your opener, cables, and the remaining spring. You might also notice the door stopping mid-travel or reversing unexpectedly. Don't just keep hitting the button hoping it corrects itself. that usually makes things worse. Check out our frequently asked questions for more on what to do when your door behaves erratically.
With the garage door closed, look up above the door opening at the torsion spring (the horizontal spring mounted on the shaft). A broken spring will often show a clear two-inch gap where the coil has separated. You should also look for rust or corrosion. Rust weakens the metal and accelerates failure. and in La Puente, even our mild winters bring enough moisture that unprotected springs can develop rust over time.
A door that moves in a stuttering or uneven manner, rather than one smooth arc, is telling you something is off with the balance. Worn springs cause the door to move unevenly, which in turn accelerates wear on rollers, cables, and tracks. If you're also hearing squeaking or grinding during operation, that's a sign the whole system deserves a closer look. not just a spray of WD-40.
Here's a quick test you can do yourself. Disconnect the automatic opener (pull the red emergency release cord), then manually lift the door to about waist height and let go gently. A properly balanced door should stay put, or drift very slowly. If it drops quickly or shoots upward, the spring tension is off. This test costs nothing and takes two minutes, and it's worth doing once a year on your La Puente home.
If your door uses two torsion springs and one breaks, it makes sense to replace both at the same time. Since both springs have the same age and cycle history, the second one is likely close to failure too. Replacing them together keeps the system balanced and saves you from a repeat service call in a few months.
Never attempt to adjust or replace torsion springs yourself. They are under extreme tension and can cause serious injury if handled without the proper tools and training. This is a job for a professional every time. Our team at Garage Door La Puente handles spring replacements throughout the area, including nearby West Covina, and we stock the right parts to get your door back in service the same day.
Learn more about everything we offer on our services page, or browse the blog for more maintenance guidance.
Q: How long do garage door springs typically last in La Puente? A: Standard springs are rated for around 10,000 cycles. For a household using the garage door 4,6 times a day, that translates to roughly 7,10 years. Homes that use the garage as the primary entry point may see springs wear out closer to the 5,7 year mark.
Q: Can I still use my garage door if a spring is broken? A: No. stop using the door as soon as you suspect a broken spring. The opener isn't designed to handle the full weight of the door without spring assistance, and forcing it can damage the motor, bend tracks, or cause the door to drop unexpectedly.
Q: How do I know if I have torsion springs or extension springs? A: Torsion springs are mounted horizontally above the door opening on a metal shaft. Extension springs run along the horizontal tracks on either side of the door and stretch when the door closes. Most newer and heavier residential doors in the San Gabriel Valley use torsion springs.