Garage Door Springs
What Are Garage Door Springs?
Without understanding how dangerous broken garage door springs are, many homeowners try to fix them on their own. According to the National Electronic injury Surveillance System , there are about 2,000 people crushed by garage doors every year.
If you don’t want to be part of the statistic, you should leave your garage door repair to professionals. However, even if you’re not fixing your garage door, it won’t hurt if you know the basic mechanics of the system.
The garage door spring holds the entire weight of your garage door. Since it is the largest moving part of your home, your spring is holding more or less 300 lbs of weight that makes your garage door lighter. This enables you to easily lift your garage door in case of emergency and during a power outage.
Your spring also distributes evenly the weight throughout your garage door. This allows your door to have a more balanced movement whenever it is being used.
The two types of garage door springs, torsion and extension, look like any regular spring. Basically, they are long metal coils that lift the entire garage door. However, what’s different between the two is how they operate. Torsion springs twist while extension springs expand and compress.
You typically find the torsion springs wrapped around a bar above the door. Meanwhile, extension springs are secured by safety cables and they are on both sides of the upper track.
For some time, extension springs were the standard for most garage doors. However, these days, it’s more common to find torsion springs in newer garage doors. In most cases, if anyone’s getting work done on an older garage door, professionals recommend replacing extension springs with torsion springs.
The Importance of Garage Door Springs
Without springs, garage door openers are practically useless. Garage doors weigh hundreds of pounds and the springs are responsible for lifting them.
As extension springs expand and as torsion springs twist, they support the door’s weight by providing a reliable counterbalance. This mechanism controls how the door opens and closes. Without the springs, the opener wouldn’t have the power it needs to lift the door.
Why Do Garage Door Springs Break?
There are several reasons why garage door springs eventually break. Here are some of them:
- Rust
For some reason, rust can develop on the springs. When this happens, a garage door spring lifespan will dramatically be reduced. While the coils move back and forth, rust can increase the amount of friction on the parts. What’s more, corrosion on the spring can weaken the coils and eventually cause them to snap sooner than they’re supposed to.
- Daily Wear and Tear
Garage door springs eventually fail because of the daily wear and tear. The common lifespan of most springs is about 10,000 cycles. One cycle is equivalent to the garage door going up and coming back down to close.
10,000 cycles may seem a lot, but consider that you use your garage door at least twice a day. If you’re not the only one coming in and out of the garage, then the daily cycles can quickly add up. Extended lifespan torsion springs have been engineered and rated to last for at least 20,000 cycles. However, if your garage door doesn’t have one, then expect your springs to snap sooner.
- Lack of Proper Maintenance
It’s only natural for garage door springs to fail. Even so, you can still prolong their lifespan with proper maintenance. Your trusted technician will let you know if the springs are getting close to breaking. As a result, you can avoid unexpected and destructive accidents.
Besides, with JD Garage Door Service’s Regular tune-up and inspection, you can ensure that your garage door will stay in good condition. We can lubricate the spring a few times a year and check the entire system’s balance at least once every season.
What Happens When Garage Door Springs Break?
Your garage door is probably the heaviest moving part of your home. It may look sturdy because of its size, but it’s definitely not unbreakable. Most of the time, you’ll only know that its springs are damaged when the door stops operating. So, what can you expect when garage door springs break?
- You’ll Hear a Loud Noise
You may hear a loud noise coming from your garage. Even if you don’t see anything sprawling on the ground, you should check your garage door and take a closer look. A sudden unwinding spring may have caused the sound you heard. Most of the time, a loud crashing sound occurs when springs break. That noise happens even when the door hasn’t fallen.
- You’ll See a Gap in the Spring
The easiest way to identify a broken spring is by checking if there’s a gap. Springs are supposed to be connected from end to end and they should also be tightly wound.
- You’ll Notice a Bend at the Top of the Door
When you try opening the door, you may see the top panel bending. This is a tell-tale sign that the spring on your door is already broken. With damaged springs, the door opener’s power is inadequate for lifting the panels’ weight.
- The Garage Door Will Fall Quickly
A garage door with a functioning spring and opener will smoothly go up and down. Once the spring breaks, the door will fall quickly or come crashing down. This happens because it no longer has a counterbalance for the gravity’s pull on the panels.
- The Door Will Be Crooked
The door will probably still open even if it has a broken spring. However, when it moves up or down the track, you will notice that it has become crooked. After all, the weight of the door is no longer distributed equally.
- There Will Be Loose Cables
Once a spring breaks, it will lead to a domino effect of problems. Most of the time, broken springs loosen cables. So, when you look at the ceiling, you may notice hanging slack cables
Garage Door Spring Repair Near You
Don’t attempt to fix your broken torsion spring on your own. Help is nearby. If you need a garage door spring repair or garage door spring replacement, call the expert technicians of JD Garage Door Service.
Since 2017, our clients have always prioritized customer satisfaction. We work hard to provide efficient and reliable service for our clients. Our dedication to quality is evident in our Google 5-star ratings.
For your peace of mind, we are fully insured and bonded. When you hire us, you’ll work with technicians who have passed strict background checks and rigorous training.
- Durable
- 24 hours, 7 days a week availability
- 5 years warranties on purchase of garage door openers
- Experienced technicians
Experience A1 service now! Call us at 215-948-9808