Garage door questions, answered

No. This is a free referral service. When you call, we try to connect you with an independent garage door company that serves your area. That company schedules and does the work.

Garage door companies or call networks may pay us when we refer a call to them. That's how the service stays free for you.

No. You're never obligated to hire anyone. You can ask your questions and decide for yourself.

So the call can be routed to a company that actually covers your area.

You can call any time, but whether a company is available to take the call depends on their hours and schedule. If no one is available, you may not be connected.

You may have heard a loud bang. On a torsion spring above the door, you'll see a gap in the coil. The door will feel very heavy and the opener may hum without lifting it. More on the spring repair page.

Springs wear out over thousands of cycles, and cold steel is less forgiving. Waterbury averages about 23 nights at or below freezing in January, so worn springs often fail on a cold morning.

We strongly advise against it. Springs hold enough tension to cause serious injury. This is a job for a trained technician.

Usually a lift cable has slipped off its drum or broken. Stop using the door and keep clear of it, since it can drop suddenly.

If your door has two springs, usually yes. They were installed together and have done the same number of cycles, so when one breaks the other is often close behind.

Standard springs are commonly rated for about 10,000 open-and-close cycles, roughly six to seven years for a door used four or five times a day. High-cycle springs are built to last two or three times as long.

The safety sensors near the floor are blocked, dirty or out of line. Clean the lenses and line them up until both lights are steady.

Not necessarily. A broken spring is the most common cause. The opener can't lift the door's full weight on its own.

Often 10 to 15 years. Older units without rolling-code security or with repeated failures are usually worth replacing.

Replace the remote battery first. Then check that lock or vacation mode isn't turned on at the wall control. If it still doesn't work, reprogram the remote with the learn button on the opener motor.

Don't keep pressing the opener. Free the seal with a hair dryer or by gently working a plastic scraper along the edge, then keep the area clear of slush.

It's better to use sand or calcium chloride. Rock salt speeds up rust on the bottom panel, brackets and tracks, and it's hard on concrete.

Late fall, before the first hard freeze, is ideal in Connecticut.

Ask what they found and exactly what they plan to replace, whether both springs or both cables will be done, what warranty covers the parts and the work, and whether they'll balance the door and test the safety reverse before they leave. It's also fine to ask for their Connecticut registration and proof of insurance.

Sensor and opener adjustments often take under an hour. A spring or cable repair is commonly one to three hours on site. A new opener usually takes a few hours, and a new door most of a day.

Connecticut requires most residential home improvement contractors to register with the Department of Consumer Protection. You can look up a registration at elicense.ct.gov.

Check your lease or call your landlord or property manager first. In many rentals the owner arranges and pays for repairs, and they may already have a company they use.