2026-03-19 7 min read
If you've ever walked into your garage on a frigid January morning and hit the opener button only to hear a loud bang followed by nothing, you already know what a broken torsion spring feels like. It's one of the most common calls we get here in Rice and across Stevens County. and there's a very specific reason it happens more in winter than any other time of year.
Rice, WA sits along the Columbia River in Stevens County, and the climate here is no joke. Temperatures regularly drop below 50°F for well over half the year, and winter lows in the 20s aren't unusual. That freeze-thaw cycle. cold nights, slightly warmer days, cold again. is exactly what torsion and extension springs hate most.
Metal contracts when it gets cold. Your garage door springs are under constant tension even when the door is sitting still, and when cold temperatures cause the steel to tighten and become more brittle, that tension becomes a liability. Many springs break during the winter due to cold temperatures making the metal more brittle and more likely to snap. Add in the fact that a snow-covered door is heavier than usual, and the spring is working even harder every single time you open up.
Homes out here. whether you're on a rural acreage near Lake Roosevelt, a property outside Kettle Falls, or a older farmhouse along State Route 25. tend to have large detached garages or shop buildings. Those bigger doors often run heavy-duty double springs, and when one of those lets go, the door isn't going anywhere without help.
The good news is that springs rarely fail without warning. Here's what to look for:
Disconnect your opener and try lifting the door manually to waist height. A properly balanced door should stay in place on its own. If it falls or rises, your spring tension is off and it's time to call someone before it gets worse.
Take a close look at your torsion spring (it runs horizontally above the door). Rust, gaps between coils, or a visible crack are all signs the spring is near the end of its life. Freeze-thaw cycles can cause rust to form and lead to long-term damage if not addressed promptly.
If your door has been moving unevenly or the opener sounds like it's straining, that's the motor compensating for a spring that isn't doing its job. Don't ignore it. a struggling opener can burn out the motor on top of the spring problem.
This is the sound of a spring that already snapped. If you heard it, don't try to force the door open manually. The cable can go slack and cause additional damage.
Spring replacement itself is a job for a professional. these components are under serious tension and can cause injury if handled incorrectly. But there are maintenance steps any homeowner can take to get more life out of their springs.
Lubricate before the cold hits. Use a silicone-based lubricant specifically designed for garage doors. never WD-40 or general-purpose oil, which can gum up in cold weather. Apply it to the spring coils, hinges, and rollers in October or early November, before temperatures consistently drop below freezing. Our cold weather preparation guide walks through the full seasonal checklist.
Keep the door balanced. An out-of-balance door puts uneven load on one spring. Test the balance every fall by manually lifting the door halfway. If it moves on its own in either direction, schedule an adjustment.
Don't force a frozen door. If the bottom seal has frozen to the concrete overnight, forcing the opener will put enormous stress on the springs. Gently chip away the ice or use warm water to melt it before operating the door.
Replace in pairs. If one spring breaks and the other is the same age, replace both at the same time. They've experienced the same wear and the second one will likely follow within months.
Most residential garage door springs are rated for around 10,000 cycles. If you open and close your garage twice a day, that's roughly 7 years of use. However, in a climate like ours. where sub-freezing nights are common from November through March. springs tend to wear faster. If your home is more than 7,10 years old and you've never had the springs replaced, it's worth having someone take a look.
For homeowners in communities like Colville, Chewelah, or anywhere else in Stevens County, the pattern is the same: the coldest stretches of winter are when springs are most vulnerable. A proactive inspection in fall is almost always cheaper than an emergency call in February.
If you want to understand what a spring replacement. or any other repair. is likely to cost before you commit, our repair cost breakdown guide gives honest numbers without the runaround. And if you're ready to schedule a look, you can reach our team directly.
Technically the door may still move, but it's not a good idea. Without the spring doing its job, the full weight of the door falls on the opener motor and the cables. You risk burning out the motor or causing cable damage that turns a single repair into a much larger one. It's best to leave the door in the closed position and call for service.
Torsion springs run horizontally along a metal shaft above the door opening. Extension springs run along the horizontal tracks on each side of the door and stretch when the door closes. Most newer garage doors in this region use torsion springs, but older setups. common in the rural properties around Rice and Stevens County. may still have extension springs.
We'd strongly recommend against it. Torsion springs are wound under hundreds of pounds of tension. Improper handling can result in serious injury. This is one of those repairs where calling a professional is genuinely the safer and smarter call, even for handy homeowners.