Garage doors go up and down with a set of cables. When it is working properly, the springs in the cable assembly get rid of any slack, allowing the door to move easily. If you have snapped cables, your garage door may get stuck or unable to go up. There are several symptoms that will help you determine if your cable has broken.
• Door can’t move: A snapped cable triggers a safety mechanism which keeps the garage door from moving. Broken springs and anything that’s blocking the door track can also be the cause of this problem.
• Door moves unevenly: When your door slants on one side, the cables are probably misaligned. You can easily notice it when inspecting the rails.
• Door moves too fast: Most people think that the opener does the heavy lifting, but it is actually the cables and springs that carry the entire weight of the door. When your door goes down faster than usual, chances are the cables or springs have broken.
Handling broken garage door cables can cause injury, so it is recommended that you have the problem fixed by an expert garage door repairman.