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I've been reading about your garage door spring woes. Here's some free advice for me, because it happened to me last winter.

If those springs are the kind wind around the axle that the door rides on, DON'T mess with them yourself. Those things pack as much energy as a grenade, and can kill you just as dead, if you don't know what you're doing. Pay for a "professional" to take the risks. They have some tricks, and usually know what they're doing.

First, the remaining good spring has to be detensioned (disarmed). Then the broken spring has to be taken off, and a new one put on. Then both of them have to be properly tensioned. The springs have the least tension when the door is open, and the most when it is closed. That's what lets a little 1HP opener, or little person, open or close those heavy doors.

The one thing you CAN do with new springs (plan on replacing both), is to keep them lubricated, to prevent rust. I didn't, with the first springs, and rust is what usually causes a spring like that to snap. The coils rub against themselves as they are tensioned, and rust increases the abrasiveness, as well as weakening the steel. Eventually, the weakest part of the coil snaps, releasing all that energy. It sounded like a shotgun going off inside the garage.

The most important thing you can do for the new springs is spray them with WD40 or some light penetrating oil every few months. The springs should be black and shiny. The oil dissolves the rust, and provides some lubrication for the coils pressing against each other.

There are lots of things I'll do around the house myself, but messing with garage door springs is not one of them. Just remember to take good care of the new springs, and they'll take good care of you.