Garage Door Torsion Springs 101

November 25th, 2019 Posted in Garage Door Torsion Springs
Comments Off on 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

, ,
Read More

4 Things to Know About Garage Door Springs

June 24th, 2019 Posted in Garage Door Springs
Comments Off on 4 Things to Know About Garage Door Springs

The spring on your garage door is what allows you to open and close this large door with ease. Garage doors weigh hundreds of pounds and without a spring to mitigate this heavy weight, it would take some strength to pull it up and keep gravity from slamming it shut. Heavy-duty springs are the workhorse of a garage door system – knowing the basics about these springs can help you maintain your garage door and opening system. Here are four things you should know about your garage door spring.

  1. Torsion and extension springs. Garage doors either have torsion or extension springs. Most garage doors with an opening system have torsion springs that wind and recoil to release energy to move the door.
  2. Torsion springs wear out. The continuous winding of the torsion spring wears out the material over time. Eventually, the spring will break, often without warning. When this happens, the garage door will no longer be easy to open.
  3. Cycles for springs. You can gauge how soon a spring will wear out on the number of cycles (opening and closing). Most torsion springs will last about 20,000 cycles, so the more times per day you use it, the quicker it will need replacement.
  4. Replacement. You can wait until a spring breaks to replace it, but then you may be stuck until it can be replaced. Proactive replacement is best, but never attempt to do this yourself as it can be dangerous. Leave spring replacements to a garage door professional.

Garage door springs make life easier and require little maintenance to work day in and day out. Just perform annual service on your opening system and keep the system lubricated to reduce stress on your spring to make it last longer.

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

, ,
Read More

The Purpose of Garage Door Springs

October 25th, 2012 Posted in Garage Door Springs
Comments Off on The Purpose of Garage Door Springs

Many homeowners believe that their automatic garage door opener does all the heavy lifting when it comes to opening and closing the garage door.  Garage door openers are convenient and work hard opening and closing the garage door, but the garage door springs actually do most of the work lifting the weight of a garage door. 

Overhead garage doors can weigh hundreds of pounds and without garage door springs, they would be very difficult for most people to open.  They would also be dangerous to close because as the door closes, more of the door moves from the overhead horizontal position to the vertical position.  As a result, the person closing the door would bear more and more of the weight of the door until it became too heavy and came crashing down.

The garage door springs work by taking up the weight of the door as it closes.  There are two types of garage door springs.  Extension springs are installed parallel with the horizontal door tracks.  Extension springs extend as the door closes and contract as the door is opened.

Torsion springs are mounted parallel with the top of the door opening.  These types of springs coil up as the door closes and uncoil as it opens.  Both types of springs must be adjusted properly by a trained garage door technician in order for the garage door to open smoothly without jamming.  When properly adjusted, a garage door opened about half way will remain in that position when released.

Garage door springs experience metal fatigue and will eventually break after a few thousand opening and closing cycles.  When one spring breaks, both springs should be replaced so that equal opening tension is exerted on the door. Garage door spring replacement is a common garage door repair.  However, replacing garage door springs is very dangerous and garage door spring replacement should only be replaced or adjusted by a trained garage door contractor.

, ,
Read More

Why You Should Replace Both Garage Door Springs

April 8th, 2012 Posted in Garage Door Repairs
Comments Off on Why You Should Replace Both Garage Door Springs

Overhead garage doors use heavy duty steel springs to help make it easier to open and close the door.  Garage doors weigh hundreds of pounds, but with properly adjusted springs they easily opened by hand or a small opener.

As garage door springs extend and contract (or coil and uncoil for torsion type springs) they become fatigued.  Each cycle of opening and closing the door causes the spring to become slightly weaker and it will eventually break.  Garage door springs typically last for thousands of cycles so even if you use your garage door frequently, it will take years for a spring to break.

When a spring breaks, you will need to have it replaced by a good garage door repair service.  These springs are dangerous and this is not a job for the homeowner.  Garage doors usually have two springs – one attached to either side of the door.

Always replace the springs in pairs, even though only one spring is broken.  It is important that the door is lifted evenly and as garage door springs age, they become weaker.  Installing a strong new spring on a door with an old weak spring will cause uneven lifting and jamming of the door.

In addition, if one spring breaks the other is not far behind and it is less expensive to install both springs at the same time than it is to have the garage door technician make two trips to your home a few months apart.

, ,
Read More

Garage Door Springs

January 13th, 2011 Posted in Garage Door Repairs
Comments Off on Garage Door Springs

Most garage door problems occur slowly.  The door gets harder to open, it makes more noise than usual, or the opener seems to be straining more than it used to.  These kinds of problems are often caused by the door rollers and tracks wearing out, binding, or going out of adjustment.  Other times, these issues are a sign that the garage door opener is about due for a replacement.  Some careful lubrication and adjustment or replacing the opener will often get your garage door back on track. 

Either of these problems you can choose to take care of yourself or let a professional garage door service handle it.  However, there is one garage door repair that you never want to tackle on own – a broken or misadjusted spring.

Garage doors are much heavier than they seem.  That’s because large springs are used to assist with opening the door.  There are two types of garage door springs.  Torsion springs are coiled up over the head of the door, and tension springs extend along the top side rails of the door track. 

Both types of springs can break, making the door much more difficult to open.  If you think your garage door springs are broken or out of adjustment, do not attempt to fix it yourself.  Garage door springs are under very high tension and one wrong move can cause severe injuries or even death. 

Adjusting or replacing garage door springs one of those jobs you should leave to a professional garage door service.  The risk of injury or death is just too high.  If your garage door springs need to be repaired or replaced, do yourself a favor and call a garage door service professional.

, ,
Read More

Find Local Company | Garage Door Directory | Find Local Garage Door Service Companies