Are you hearing a loud banging sound and your garage door only opens a few inches? The issue here could be a broken garage door spring. The garage door springs helps to balance your garage door, and when it’s broken, you, your car and everything else in your garage may become trapped since the garage door is too heavy to lift. The garage door spring can fail for various reasons:
- Aging of the Garage Door Spring – Garage doors are heavy to lift and require an almost daily operation. The garage door springs are used to open and close the garage door. Over time the wear and tear adds up, causing metal fatigue, weakening, and eventually, the garage door spring may snap.
- Spring Corrosion – Even if the garage door springs are not old, you can experience corrosion from dirt, water, and dust, causing the garage door spring to become weak and brittle. It is advised to check your garage door springs regularly for signs of corrosion.
- Improper Installation – You can experience garage door spring failure because of incorrect installation, which is why you should work with a professional garage door company with experience in garage door repair and installations.
- Poor Maintenance – If you are interested in having your garage door working perfectly and expanding its lifespan, maintenance is necessary. Regular checks on lubrication and internal mechanisms can reduce the chance of experiencing a broken garage door spring.
- Manufacturing Mistakes – Although these errors are rare, a garage door spring can break if it is not in good shape due to an error during the production phase. Get a garage door spring repair or garage door spring replacement ASAP if you notice this issue.
What Happens When the Springs Break?
Garage door springs have a certain lifespan, which depends on how much the garage door is used.
The garage door spring typically lasts about seven to ten years. When the springs break, the tension from the garage door is released and it can no longer hold the door’s weight.
Our Garage Door
spring repair best practices
Replacing Both Springs
Replacing the garage door springs is not a DIY project. It can be difficult and dangerous. The task is best left to the professionals who can handle the job at hand. Replacing one spring can cause the garage door to be misaligned, and it can also cause the second garage door spring to break shortly after.
Using the Right Springs
Garage door spring replacement is one of the most common garage door repairs we get to do. Our certified garage door technicians carry in their trucks all the necessary fixtures since the springs need to be measured to ensure that they fit properly in the garage door. Utilizing the wrong garage door spring size in a replacement can damage the garage door and the garage door opener. We use high-quality and high-cycle garage door springs that last for many years and can yield approximately 10,000 cycles.
Safety Inspection
We always begin the job with a comprehensive safety inspection. In doing so, we want to ensure that all hardware elements on the garage door are working effectively. This course of action contributes to the combined safety of you and our garage door technicians.
Garage Door Extension Springs
Extension springs are typically mounted on both sides of the garage door with a safety cable that runs through the middle of the spring, which prevents it from breaking and swinging around. They are connected by a series of pulleys at the back section of the garage door.
The energy needed to open the garage door while the pulley does the lifting comes from the extension springs. When these parts are damaged or improperly installed, the garage door cannot function effectively.
Advantages of Extension Springs:
- Less expensive to acquire
- Extension springs don’t use a lot of overhead space because they’re located on the side of the door
- Less durability than torsion springs
- Though there is redundancy, the garage door still becomes mostly inoperable with a single spring
Garage Door torsion Springs
Torsion springs are horizontally mounted above the garage door down opening on either end of the drums.
The drums assist by wrapping around the garage door spring cables on the bottom half of the door.
Whenever the torsion spring breaks, the connected cables become loose and pull away from the drums. If these are damaged, the system cannot effectively operate.
Torsion springs are:
• Durable as they last for a long time
• Good value for money
Disadvantages of Torsion Springs:
• More expensive than extension springs
• Offer no redundancy, as there is a single spring
The Dangers of Replacing the Garage Door Springs Yourself
Since the garage door springs are typically under a great deal of tension, if you attempt to lift the door, they can unwind, resulting in loss of life or limbs. The garage door spring should never be touched or adjusted by persons who are not trained or do not have the right tools and experience.
Replacing Extension Springs with Torsion
Our team is well-versed in garage door spring replacement. Any homeowner with extension springs installed can request a switch to torsion springs. We may also make the recommendation if we see where it is necessary. Note that there is also a garage door spring type known as a torque spring. It uses an incredibly flexible and electric design. When twisted, it expands torque in the opposite direction. These tend to be installed with Wayne Dalton doors.
What Not to Do After the Springs Break
After the garage door spring breaks, never attempt to lift the garage door manually or with the help of an electrical garage door opener. Not having a working spring setup makes the garage door extremely heavy and hard to move. It can cause harm to your body if you attempt to lift it. The opener, if used, can likely strain the motor causing it to burn out.
How do I Prevent My Springs From Breaking?
Preserving your garage door spring system is vital to ensuring its longevity. Inspect it and repair any issues at least once a year, but twice yearly if you live in a colder climate. A garage door repair professional will be able to find out problems with the garage door spring mechanism, as well as apply oil or grease as needed. Capital Garage Door Repair specialists are highly trained in garage door spring repair and system maintenance. To learn more about our planned maintenance services, contact one of our service experts.
How Long Do Garage Door Springs Last?
Garage door springs typically last seven to nine years when properly maintained, which is around four cycles per day. If utilized more frequently, the garage door spring lifespan may be as little as four to six years. Garage door extension and torsion springs are two types of garage door springs. Torsion springs, which are usually installed above the garage door, keep it in balance by ensuring that the door is firmly in position, whether raised or lowered. Some movement should be anticipated; however if the garage door falls, shut or doesn’t stay open, it’s likely due to a failing torsion spring. Extension springs are placed either above the garage door on its sides and typically last around seven to nine years. If there are any gaps between the coils, this means that the garage door spring is beginning to fail. In regions with higher moisture levels, garage door springs may corrode and have a shorter lifespan due to rust.
Should I Replace Both Springs If Only One Of Them Has Broken?
When one garage door spring breaks, we always recommend replacing both springs at the same time. This is because the garage door springs wear at about the same rate and tend to break around the same time. When only one garage door spring is replaced, the other usually fails shortly after. It’s preferable to do everything at once before anything else goes down.
How do I know if my garage door spring is broken?
If your garage door is extra heavy and the opener can’t seem to open it, then most likely one of your garage door springs have broken. To check if this is the case, look at the springs on top of your door. They should be solid coils without any gaps. Another telltale sign that the garage door spring has broken is when you hear a loud noise coming from your garage door; this happens when all of the tension in the spring releases suddenly, causing an expand/contract back action that makes a significant sound.
What is “High-Cycle Life”?
High-Cycle Life is the process of converting your garage door springs measurements and sizes to help them survive longer. It’s not about upgrading the metal or applying a special finish to the garage door spring; it’s all about raising Wire Size and Length, which prevents garage door springs from wearing out as rapidly. To renew your garage door spring, give us a call!
My springs are not mounted in the center of the door. Is this okay?
Torsion springs for garage doors can be placed anywhere along the torsion tube. The torsion tube rotates the cable drums, which raises and lowers the garage door. Off-center springs are typical in order to allow for low headroom situations and use with an opener.
My garage door only has one spring on it. Can I upgrade to a pair?
The number of garage door springs you’ll need is determined by the weight of your garage door. The most typical case is a single torsion spring on a 9×7 garage door for one car. We propose using two springs on any door weighing more than 150 pounds. Having a heavy-duty garage door spring rather than two smaller ones can be advantageous to the service life cycle at some point because the larger spring has a longer lifespan. If you have only one torsion spring on a two-car garage door, we generally recommend adding a pair.
When to Buy New Torsion Springs
You may check the sturdiness of your garage door torsion springs in a number of ways. Disconnecting the automatic garage door opener is first on my list. Try raising the garage door yourself; it should go up without difficulty and stay in place whether you pull it all the way up or only half-way. If you find that the garage door slides back down or requires too much effort to raise, there’s a chance that the garage door springs are damaged, which will necessitate their replacement
When to Buy New Extension Springs
The condition of your garage door’s coils can show you how worn out the springs are. To check, see if there any bends or gaps in the coils. If they’re damaged, it means that they will likely break soon and should be replaced. You might also need to replace both springs if your garage door looks uneven on one side compared to the other; this usually happens when one spring is more worn out than the other. Additionally, very noisy doors could indicate that the springs are broken and therefore need replacing as well.
Our experienced and trained technicians can handle broken or worn springs. Spring replacement is a point of expertise for us, and as professionals, we comply with all safety regulations. Capital Garage Door Repair guarantees to provide you with licensed technicians who have years of experience. While you could opt for a less reputable source, investing in professional services saves you money in the long run. It also prevents damage to other garage door components.
