Extension Spring Replacement: before you call

One of the springs beside the track is hanging loose at the front end, its pulley dangling, and a length of cable lies slack along the top of the door. The door sits slightly crooked and the opener reverses whenever it tries to close.

Worth answering before the call

Does the opener still move the door, and does it sound strained? Is a car parked inside that will need to come out first? Is the door closed, fully open, or stuck partway?

Do the pulleys need replacing at the same time?

Often, yes. Each side has two pulleys, one on the spring and one fixed at the front of the track, and the cable rides over both on every trip. A pulley whose wheel has worn a sharp groove, or whose bearing has stiffened, drags on the cable and adds load the spring has to overcome, which is a common reason the old spring wore early. Pulleys that spin freely and run true can stay.

Will the lift cables be changed as well?

They are inspected every time and changed when they show fraying, rust at the bottom loop, or a kink from having jumped a pulley. Cables and springs are generally the same age, and with the door already open and the springs off, fitting new cables adds little to the visit. Bright, tight strands with clean loops can stay and are simply re-routed over the pulleys and set to the new springs.