2026-03-09 7 min read
If you live in Goshen, you already know the winters here aren't like the rest of Connecticut. Sitting at 1,333 feet above sea level in the Litchfield Hills, Goshen regularly sees snow while towns in the lower valleys are still getting rain. The average January high barely clears 30°F, and lows routinely dip below 19°F. That kind of cold is hard on everything. including the springs that make your garage door work.
Garage door springs are one of those components most homeowners never think about until something goes wrong. When they fail in mid-January, the timing couldn't be worse. Understanding the warning signs before that happens is one of the most practical things you can do as a homeowner up here in the hills.
Garage door springs are made of tightly wound steel. When temperatures drop, that steel contracts, becoming more brittle and less flexible. making it more susceptible to breaking under the tension it's constantly under. If your springs are already aging or showing wear, a Goshen winter cold snap can be the final straw.
This is compounded by the freeze-thaw cycles that are especially common in the Litchfield Hills. One afternoon it's 42°F and raining; by morning everything has refrozen. That repeated expansion and contraction of metal accelerates wear faster than a steady cold spell would on its own. Homeowners over in Torrington, sitting lower in the valley, simply don't deal with the same intensity of this cycle.
Torsion springs (the horizontal bar mounted above your door) and extension springs (the long springs on either side that stretch when the door moves) both suffer in these conditions. though torsion springs are more common on modern doors and tend to last longer.
If you disconnect your opener and try to lift the door manually, it should feel nearly weightless. springs are designed to counterbalance the door's weight, which can be several hundred pounds. If it suddenly feels like you're lifting the whole thing yourself, the springs have likely lost significant tension or failed entirely. Don't keep using the opener in this condition; it puts serious strain on the motor.
A broken torsion spring can make a sound like a gunshot. loud enough to startle you from inside the house. If you hear a sudden bang from the garage and the door stops working, that's almost certainly what happened. Stop using the door immediately and call for service.
If one spring is weaker or has failed while the other still works, the door will rise unevenly. tilting to one side or jerking through its motion. This uneven tension also puts stress on the tracks and cables, turning a spring problem into a bigger repair bill if left unaddressed.
Take a look at your torsion spring (from a safe distance. never touch a spring under tension). A gap of roughly two inches or more in the coil means the spring has snapped. On extension springs, look for visible overstretching or a spring that's hanging loose instead of taut.
Some noise is normal, especially on cold mornings when metal parts contract. But persistent squealing or grinding sounds are different. they often signal a spring that's corroded or losing its ability to move smoothly. Rust is a real issue in Goshen's wet winters; springs that aren't regularly lubricated will corrode and fail earlier than they should.
As springs lose tension, your opener motor has to compensate by working harder and running longer. A standard residential garage door should open in roughly 12,15 seconds. If yours is taking noticeably longer, or if the opener seems to strain and cycle repeatedly, your springs are likely nearing the end of their life.
Most residential garage door springs are rated for around 10,000 open/close cycles. If you use your door four times a day. which is common for homeowners who work from home or use the garage as a main entry. that's roughly 7 years of lifespan. Many of the older colonials and Cape-style homes throughout Goshen and the surrounding area have doors that have never had their springs replaced. If you've owned your home more than a decade and can't remember a spring replacement, it's worth having someone look at them.
Temperature extremes, moisture, and lack of lubrication all shorten spring life further. An annual inspection. ideally in the fall before the hardest weather arrives. is the most practical way to avoid an emergency. You can read more about building a seasonal maintenance habit in our guide to preparing your garage door for fall.
This is one repair where the DIY path is genuinely dangerous. Torsion springs store enormous amounts of energy. enough to cause serious injury if released improperly. The tools and technique required to safely wind and set a replacement spring aren't something most homeowners have on hand. It's not worth it.
If you're seeing any of the signs above, the right move is to stop using the door and get a professional out to take a look. Goshen Garage Doors serves the Goshen area and surrounding Litchfield County towns. you can schedule a service call before a warning sign becomes a full breakdown.
If a spring has already broken, forcing the opener to keep working can burn out the motor. The opener is designed to assist a balanced door. not to do all the lifting on its own. Keep the door in the closed position and leave it until a technician arrives. A quick repair now is far less expensive than replacing both the spring and the opener motor together.
For more on understanding when to repair versus when to replace components, our maintenance value analysis breaks down how to think through those decisions clearly. And if you have questions about what's covered in a routine inspection, our FAQ page is a good starting point.