A garage door can weigh anywhere between 60 to 180 kilograms. That’s heavier than a fully loaded commercial fridge. And yet, most homeowners expect a small electric motor to lift it multiple times a day without complaint.
Here’s the truth: your opener isn’t supposed to lift the full weight of your door. The springs do the heavy lifting. The motor simply guides it.
When a garage door is out of balance, the opener starts doing a job it was never designed to do. It strains. It overheats. Gears wear down. And eventually? It fails.
At PSG Garage Door, we see it all the time. Burnt motors. Snapped springs. Doors slamming shut unexpectedly. All because no one performed a simple garage door balance test that takes less than 10 seconds.
We’ll show you the “halfway lift” trick today, but more importantly, we’ll explain what your results really mean.
Why You Should Care More About Garage Door Balance
Your garage door operates on a counterbalance system. Torsion or extension springs hold stored energy that offsets the door’s weight. When everything is calibrated correctly, the door should feel almost weightless.
If it doesn’t, something is wrong.
An unbalanced garage door creates:
- Excessive opener strain
- Premature motor wear
- Gear stripping inside the opener
- Increased electricity usage
- Spring fatigue
- Cable tension problems
- Track alignment issues
- Safety reversal system malfunctions
Industry data indicates that spring or balance issues, not motor defects, account for over 70% of garage door opener failures.
That means that most “opener repairs” could have been avoided if the balance had been kept up. This is something we talk about a lot when we repair garage doors in Berwick, where imbalance is one of the most common causes of motor strain and early opener failure.
The 10-Second Garage Door Balance Test (Halfway Lift Trick)
This is the test we teach our customers. It’s simple. It’s safe (if done properly). And it’s incredibly revealing.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Close your garage door fully.
- To disconnect the opener, pull the manual release cord.
- Lift the door slowly by hand.
- Raise it to the halfway point.
- Let go carefully.
Now observe.
What Should Happen?
A properly balanced door should:
- Stay in place at the halfway mark
- Move smoothly without jerking
- Feel relatively light
- Not drift up or drop down
- Not feel uneven when opening manually
If your garage door won’t stay halfway open, you likely have a garage door out of balance issue.
What Your Results Mean
Here’s how we interpret results at PSG Garage Door:
If the Door Drops Down
- Springs may have lost tension
- Torsion spring tension is insufficient
- Extension springs may be worn
- Garage door spring adjustment is required
- The door is too heavy to lift properly
This is the most common scenario when clients say, “My garage door is heavy to lift.”
If the Door Shoots Upward
- Springs are over-tightened
- Garage door spring adjustment was done incorrectly
- Counterbalance system is miscalibrated
An upward drift is just as dangerous as a drop.
If the Door Feels Extremely Heavy
- Garage door spring repair is likely needed
- Spring fatigue has reduced lifting capacity
- You may need torsion spring adjustment
- The opener is compensating and suffering
This is almost always the answer to the question, “Why is my garage door so heavy to lift?”
Signs Your Garage Door Is Too Heavy
Beyond the halfway lift test, here are warning signs:
- Garage door opener struggling to lift door
- Grinding noises from the opener
- Door slams shut unexpectedly
- Door rises unevenly
- Garage door uneven when opening
- Door won’t stay open
- Door feels jerky or resistant
- You hear loud spring snapping sounds
Stop using the automatic opener right away if your garage door drops when it’s halfway open. If you keep using it, the motor can burn out. This is something we see a lot when we repair garage doors in Narre Warren, where an unbalanced door has caused an opener to fail when it shouldn’t have.
Can an Unbalanced Garage Door Damage the Opener?
Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: absolutely, and quickly.
Your opener motor is designed to guide motion, not lift full door weight. When balance is off, it compensates by increasing torque.
Over time, this leads to:
- Stripped drive gears
- Burnt circuit boards
- Motor overheating
- Chain or belt wear
- Complete garage door opener motor burning out
We often have to replace openers that broke too soon, not because they were bad quality, but because the springs weren’t taken care of.
Yes, an unbalanced garage door can break the opener.
Why Spring Adjustment Isn’t a DIY Job
We understand the temptation. You watch a video. You grab tools. You think it’s just tightening a bolt.
But torsion springs are under a lot of stress, and they can hold enough energy to seriously hurt someone.
Attempting DIY torsion spring adjustment can result in:
- Broken wrists
- Facial injuries
- Damaged cables
- Misaligned tracks
- Incorrect cable tension
- Further imbalance
We strongly advise against replacing the springs on your garage door yourself if you’re wondering, “Is it safe to do so?”. When we repair garage doors in Dandenong, we frequently address issues that began as do-it-yourself projects gone awry since stress in torsion and extension springs can cause serious injury.
Professional garage door spring repair ensures:
- Proper torsion spring tension calibration
- Balanced door resistance
- Smooth track alignment
- Functional safety reversal system
- Correct weight distribution
How Often Should You Perform a Garage Door Balance Test?
We recommend:
- Testing every 6 months
- Testing immediately if the door feels heavy
- Testing after any spring replacement
- Testing if the opener sounds strained
Over 55% of Australian households use the garage door as their primary entry point, making an annual inspection insufficient.
Care for your car’s brakes, and care for your door’s springs.
The Cost of Ignoring an Unbalanced Door
Here’s what typically happens when balance issues are ignored:
- Springs weaken further
- Motor compensates harder
- Gears wear down
- The door becomes uneven
- The opener fails
- Emergency garage door repair is required
Average costs in Australia:
- Garage door spring repair: $250–$600
- Garage door opener repair: $300–$800
- Full garage door motor replacement: $600–$1,200
Regular maintenance for your garage door could prevent most of these expenses.
Other Causes of Balance Problems
Sometimes it’s not just springs.
Additional causes include:
- Worn rollers
- Frayed cables
- Bent tracks
- Improper cable tension
- Obstructed track alignment
- Excess lubrication buildup
- Structural shifts in the garage frame
We look at the whole system, not just the springs, when we figure out why a garage door won’t stay halfway open.
When to Call a Professional Garage Door Technician
Call for professional help if:
- The door slams shut
- You hear a loud spring snap
- The door won’t stay halfway open
- The opener hums but doesn’t lift
- You notice uneven movement
- The door resistance feels extreme
- You see visible spring separation
If you’re in Melbourne and searching for garage door repairs or garage door spring repairs, timing matters. Spring failures rarely improve on their own.
Preventive Maintenance Checklist
Here’s what we recommend every 6–12 months:
- Perform the halfway lift test
- Inspect torsion springs visually
- Check cable tension symmetry
- Observe track alignment
- Test safety reversal system
- Lubricate rollers and hinges (not tracks)
- Listen for opener strain
- Schedule a professional inspection if unsure
Small checks. Big protection.
Final Thoughts: Protect the Motor Before It Fails
The halfway lift test takes 10 seconds.
It takes hours and hundreds of dollars to replace a burned-out motor.
Most garage door opener repair jobs we perform could have been avoided if the homeowner had identified a garage door out of balance early.
If your garage door feels heavy to lift, if it won’t stay open, or if the opener is struggling, don’t ignore it.
At PSG Garage Door, we specialise in precise garage door spring adjustment, safe torsion spring repair, and complete garage door maintenance service solutions across Melbourne. Our technicians check the whole counterbalance system, not just the obvious problems, to make sure it will work for a long time.
Your opener shouldn’t be working overtime.
If you’re unsure whether your garage door is balanced, book a professional inspection with PSG Garage Door. We’ll make sure your system is safe, efficient, and operating exactly as designed.
Because a properly balanced door doesn’t just protect your motor.
It protects your home.
Also read: Is Your Garage Door Screaming