The “Single Pringle” Mistake: Why One Broken Garage Door Spring Means You Need Two

We’ve all been there. You’re sipping your morning coffee, ready to conquer the world, you hit the garage door button, and—BANG! It sounds like a gunshot went off in your garage.

You go out there and see it: one of your torsion springs has snapped. It’s sitting there, coiled and defeated, while the other spring looks perfectly fine. Naturally, your inner "budget warrior" thinks, “Hey, why pay for two when only one is broken? I’ll just replace the dead one and buy myself a steak dinner with the savings!”

Slow down there, Hercules. Before you try to save a buck, let’s talk about why replacing just one spring is like wearing only one shoe to a marathon.

Replace One or Both??

1. They’re Twins (and They’re Tired)

Garage door springs are installed at the same time and they do the exact same amount of work. Every time your door goes up and down, they both lose a little bit of their "bounce."

If one snapped today, the other one is likely hanging on by a metaphorical thread [10:42]. If you only replace the broken one, don't be surprised that in 3 week ones you’re having to replace the “good” one.

Save yourself the second service fee!

2. The "Frankenstein" Door Problem

A new spring is full of life and tension. An old spring is tired and stretched out. If you mix them, your door is going to have a mid-life crisis. One side will pull harder than the other, causing the door to track unevenly, which can lead to:

• Bent tracks

• Frayed cables

• A very grumpy garage door opener

3. Upgrading Your "Bang for Your Buck"

In the video below, you’ll see a great example of why we don't just "swap like for like." Often, you can upgrade from a standard 10,000-cycle spring to a high-cycle spring (like moving from a .207 wire to a .218 wire) [02:27].

What does that mean for you?

• Standard Springs: ~10,000 cycles (open/close).

• High-Cycle Springs: ~20,000 cycles [03:21].

By replacing both with high-quality springs, you essentially double the lifespan of your setup for a fraction of the cost of two separate repair visits [11:09].

Still not convinced? Click the button below to Learn More.

The Bottom Line

Replacing one spring is a "future you" problem. Do "future you" a favor: replace them in pairs, upgrade the quality, and enjoy a door that opens smoothly (and quietly) for years to come.

Ready to get those springs swapped? Give us a call—we promise to bring both "shoes" to the job!