With a broken spring half of the force holding the door up is gone. If you pull the release it will most likely come down hard risking injury or damage to other components. In short, no, it is not a safe thing to do.
PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION AND REPAIR IS RECOMMENDED. Garage doors with broken springs should not be opened. Doors in this condition can be difficult to lift because the garage door opener loses the support springs provide in lifting and lowering the door.
According to Angi, garage door spring replacement can cost between $150 and $350, including materials and labor. If additional repairs are required, you may spend up to $500. A double door generally costs an extra $15 to $30 per spring.
Technically, a garage door can open and close without springs, but it poses significant challenges and risks. Operating a garage door without springs can lead to: Increased Physical Effort: The absence of springs makes the door extremely heavy, requiring more force to move.
Stand on the ladder and place vice grips or locking pliers on the track just above the bottom roller on the broken cable side. Gently lift the door by pulling up on the vice grips or pliers. If you have an assistant, they can help lift the door evenly on the opposite side.
Replacing a garage door spring yourself isn't impossible, but it does require special knowledge about the springs and how a garage door works.
All garage door springs will fail eventually, but proper maintenance can not only prolong the lifespan of the springs, but alert you when they are getting close to failure.
Pop the end of your screwdriver through the hole that the spindle sits in, then turn it away from the door frame. This should retract the latch so you can open the door. Another technique to try is the credit card trick often seen in movies.
If your garage door is unlocked and it still won't budge, you may have to try and open it manually. To do this, you will need to pull the red emergency release cable located overhead the front of the garage door. This should disengage the opener and allow you to lift and close the door by hand.
Whether it's open or closed, don't attempt to move your garage door if it has a broken cable. It's really dangerous to either open or close a garage door with a broken cable and it can lead to serious injury.
Replacing garage door springs takes 30 minutes to 1 hour. New garage door springs last 7 to 14 years, or between 10,000 and 20,000 up-and-down cycles. It is important to hire a professional to help, because changing a garage door spring can be dangerous.
Almost all garage doors feature a manual release function to bypass the opening mechanism during power outages or in case the motor malfunctions or a garage door remote breaks. To trigger the manual release, locate the short rope hanging down from the garage door track. It usually ends with a red, T-shaped handle.
A Door That Falls Off Its Tracks – Whether your new springs are too strong, too weak or just not the right type, one possible consequence is that they could derail your door, i.e. cause it to fall off its tracks. In such an event, anybody standing in the garage or just outside could be in very serious danger.
Unlock the manual lock on the outside of the door. Turn the key in the lock, then turn the handle next to it vertically. Grab the vertical handle and the one at the bottom of the door to lift the door open. Confirm it's stable before walking underneath or moving your car into the garage.
Thieves can use a coat hanger or wire to latch onto the emergency release lever inside the garage and pull to disengage the opener in some circumstances. This enables them to open the garage door manually from the outside.
Pull the Emergency Release Cord
The emergency release cord is the red rope that hangs from the garage door trolley. When the door is in the closed position, the release cord should be located near the front of the door. The trolley is connected to the door and moves as it opens and closes.