It is dangerous to open a garage door with broken springs because garage doors can weigh over 400 pounds. The garage springs yield most of that weight when you are closing and opening the garage door. If the spring breaks or snaps, the weight of the garage door will crush anything beneath it. 

Don't underestimate the impact of 400 pounds because a falling garage door can injure, maim or kill. Think about your kids, pets, and even yourself before you put off garage door repairs. Fortunately, current garage door springs are as risk-prone as the earlier versions. This is why you will rarely hear about deaths associated with garage door spring failures. 

However, operating a garage door with broken springs is still dangerous, and you should schedule garage door repairs as soon as possible.

How Often Do Garage Door Springs Break?

The springs will last about 10,000 cycles. If you frequent your garage a few times a day, don't expect the springs to last long. Other factors, such as weather conditions, rust, and maintenance can cause the springs to break sooner than expected. 

When the springs break, hire garage door repair services. The professional will identify the cause of the breakage and recommend ways to avoid it. They will also fix the springs, thus alleviating any spring-related injury risks. 

Is It Safe to Open a Garage Door with Broken Spring?

You can open the garage door, but it is risky since you will have to support the weight of the door when opening and closing. If you are considering using your garage door opener, don't do it. Using a garage door opener when you have a broken spring can lead to more problems. You might encounter issues such as the opener detaching itself from the ceiling, a damaged motor, bent rails, and stripped gears. These issues will require extensive garage door repair services. 

If you need to use the garage, seek help. Don't attempt to open a garage door with broken springs by yourself. Seek help, use extreme caution, and don't let the door crash down. If you do, you will require more expensive garage door repairs.  

Can You Replace Garage Door Spring Yourself?

As mentioned earlier, garage door springs hold a lot of weight. If you are inexperienced and not careful when changing the springs, you will injure yourself. Common garage door spring-related injuries include lacerations, broken fingers, wrists, and head accidents. 

Ideally, you should hire garage door repair services to replace your springs or consult someone knowledgeable and experienced enough. Anything can go wrong when replacing garage door springs; thus, err on the side of caution and hire a professional.