Garage Door Torsion Springs 101

Your garage door opener smoothly opens and closes a garage door that weighs hundreds of pounds with the help of a spring. Torsion springs are one of the most common movement devices used in garage doors, using the energy of the spring form to lift the heavy door. This is one of the most important components of your garage door opening system; without it, the opener could not lift your garage door. Here is a basic guide to garage door torsion springs and what you need to know.

The principal behind torsion springs is the same as any door with a spring; wind up the spring and it will have stored energy that will help move the door. For garage doors, torsion springs are usually installed horizontally on the ceiling opening hardware. The ends of the spring are attached to each cable that lifts the door. When the door closes, the spring winds up. When the door needs to open, the stored energy is released as the spring unwinds and transferred to moving the door up.

This simple process can be trusted for thousands of cycles of opening your garage door up and down. Most torsion springs can last about 10,000 cycles, giving you several years of use before they need to be replaced. However, weather and use will wear them out, and when they break it, the garage door they support can slam shut. This can be dangerous, and it can be very risky to try and replace a spring on your own.

Torsion springs should be replaced about every 5-7 years. Make sure to have yours inspected each year as part of your annual service for your garage door opener. It is best to proactively replace springs when recommended, versus waiting for them to break, so follow the advice of your local garage door service company.

Posted on behalf of: 
Habpro Garage Doors
Dacula, GA 30019
770-985-3355