We cannot talk about it without garage door springs as they are an essential part of the smooth process of your garage doors. This design not only helps support the door but makes it light and easy to open and close. The force in those springs is magnified still further for heavier doors (like steel or wood), and regular inspection and replacement are more important than low-density spring or door materials used on lighter-duty, lower-use openers. Whether spring is completely worn out or broken, we have seen the problems they can wreak here at Affordable Garage Door Repair. Read on for the reasons to get your garage door springs replaced ASAP and how you can tell if it’s time.
Another reason you can lift your door easily with the opener or by hand is that garage door springs do all of the heavy lifting for it. What are the different types of garage door springs?
Torsion springs are used more commonly in the case of heavier doors as they offer a better grip and lifespan. When the springs fail to work, you may be stuck with a garage door that is too heavy for easy opening and causing other operational problems — which could eventually wear out your opener or strain the tracks.
Cycles: Garage door springs are typically rated and come in 10,000 cycle counts – one unit of a “cycle” being an interpreted opening AND closing of the garage door. The average homeowner uses their garage door 6 times per day, leading to approximately ten years of beneficial usage after which a more modern replacement is in order. Heavy garage doors add even more strain to springs and will eventually shorten their working life.
This is very common which means garage door springs operate under high tension and when they break can cause the door to slam down spontaneously or even fall. With heavy doors, the danger of injury increases. The manufacturers of garage doors recommend that they be inspected annually in the spring and replaced as soon as any problems are detected. Regular inspections will prevent accidents from occurring on all residential properties due to a broken or damaged torsion spring.
A loss of power from a frayed or snapped cable makes the door heavy and also forces on top opener to work harder which will cause it to wear out way before it should, pre-failing during its continuous use. In some cases, the opener by itself may not be strong enough to lift the door safely without springing support.
Benefit: By exchanging worn springs, you save your opener from excessive force and extend its lifespan.
Broken Springs: Old, worn-out springs can lead to an uneven open or close motion in your door and may make a loud squeaking noise. Bulky garage doors need appropriately stabilized springs to work efficiently and without a whole lot of noise.
Regularly maintaining the springs helps to keep your door working quietly and smoothly, preserving other parts from excessive wear.
When a spring snaps, it can also cause subsequent damage to other parts of your garage door system like cable tracks or rollers. In worse cases, if not installed properly, the door could be misaligned affecting both visuals and those two huge 6T fenders that you’ll want replaced too. Changing the springs before this happens proactively stops these issues from getting worse.
Knowing the symptoms of a tired suspension can at least keep you from being caught off guard, so read on as we ID worn-out springs. These are the typical signs you need a new one:
Regular homeowners should consider a spring inspection each year, and springs may typically be expected to last between 7-10 years. But if you have a large or heavy garage door, and it gets used multiple times per day most days of the week then there is not going to be any way your springs will last until year 10.
Even fixing the springs on your garage door can be a dangerous job, as they are under such a high amount of tension. Replacing a garage door spring DIY can be dangerous and may result in injury or even damage to one’s property. At Affordable Garage Door Repair, our technicians have been trained to replace springs in the safest way possible so that your door will continue functioning properly and securely. We will also check over the rest of your system to guarantee that all parts are in perfect working condition.
Here are some tips for making sure you don’t get caught with a stuck or malfunctioning spring.
Although spring replacement is a fact, you can take measures that will prolong the life of your springs:
Heavy garage doors require frequent spring replacements in order to maintain safety and efficiency of operation. Ignoring your springs can cause accidents, the opener to fail early, and expensive repairs. You can help keep your gate operating smoothly, reliably, and trouble-free by staying proactive about inspections and timely replacements.
Heavy Door Springs Replacement at Affordable Garage Door Repair, spring replacements are what we were trained to be the best at. Our specialists are well-trained and will replace or repair your springs without putting you at risk. Get in touch with us today to get your garage door spring replacement scheduled so you can expect years of problem-free operation.