When a garage door spring breaks, should you replace both?

When a garage door spring breaks, you should replace both springs at same time if your door has two torsion springs, which is most common setup for double doors, as replacing both ensures balanced operation, safety, and cost savings. Torsion springs are mounted above door and share load of counterbalancing door weight, and they have same age, cycles, and wear, so when one spring breaks after 7 to 12 years or 10,000 cycles, second spring is near end of life and will break soon after, often within months, causing second service call fee of 75 to 150 dollars if replaced separately. Replacing both springs at same time costs 300 to 600 dollars including parts and labor, compared to 200 to 400 dollars for single spring, so replacing both adds only 100 to 200 dollars extra for second spring and saves future service call. Both new springs will have equal tension and lift, preventing unbalanced door that can cause door to go off-track, cables to break, or opener to strain, as old and new spring have different tension due to wear. If door has only one torsion spring originally designed for door weight, replacing only that one is fine, as door designed for single spring. For extension springs along sides, replace both sides for same reason. Professional garage door companies recommend replacing both torsion springs when one breaks for safety and longevity. New springs should be correctly sized for door weight and balance tested after installation to ensure door lifts easily manually and stays halfway when released.