Overhead garage doors use lift assist springs to help open the door. Garage doors are much heavier than most people realize. A single garage door can weigh 100 pounds and double garage doors can weigh 200 pounds or more. Without the lift assist springs, the garage door would be very difficult if not impossible for a homeowner to open by hand.
Garage door springs are placed under very high loads every time the garage door is closed. Depending on your family’s usage habits, a garage door might be opened and closed 500 to 1,000 times per year. Each opening and closing is called a cycle and the metal in the spring is fatigued slightly during each cycle. After a certain number of cycles, the spring will fail.
Most garage door springs will last between 5 and 10 years depending on the quality of the steel in the spring, the size of the spring, and the garage door opening and closing habits of the homeowner and their family. When one garage door spring fails, both springs should be replaced by an experienced garage door technician. The non-broken spring will not be as strong as the new spring and the door could become unbalanced. In addition, when one spring fails, the second spring is usually not far behind. Having both springs replaced together will help the door operate smoothly and avoid a second service call by your garage door repair technician.
Never try to replace or repair a garage door spring yourself. Garage door springs are under tremendous pressure and the force of a suddenly released spring can maim or kill. Garage door technicians have the training and experience in garage door service and repair to safely handle garage door spring.
