Identifying Garage Door Spring Issues

The garage door is an important part of your property. Chances are, you are using it at least twice daily, every time you leave for, and return from, work. A garage door is made up of dozens of parts – and each one of them is important. People know about the opener, the remote controls, the motors, sensors and various rollers. However, few people realize how important the springs are. And even fewer realize that the springs actually carry the entire weight of the garage door. This means that these parts are under a lot of stress every time you open or close the door. Even though garage door springs are designed to operate many thousands of cycles, they eventually break. Let’s take a look at the types of springs you can find on your door and how you can figure out if they are having a problem.

Importance of Garage Door Springs

As you may already be aware, a garage door – especially a metal one – is quite heavy. The opener would not be able to lift it by itself. In many cases, you would not be able to manually open or close the door either. This is what garage door springs are for; they help lift and lower the door every time you use the remote. If one or both springs get damaged, you will start to experience serious problems with the garage door. It will have trouble opening or closing and, in the worst case scenario, it will stop working altogether. Problems with garage door springs must be addressed immediately. And be very careful; springs are very dangerous for people who don’t have experience working with them.

The Types of Garage Door Springs

There are two types of garage door springs: torsion springs and extension springs. Torsion springs are usually located above the door and are generally used for heavy garage doors – such as metal doors. Extension springs are located on the walls on the sides of the door. Extension springs are not designed for heavy garage doors in general. Also, extension springs have safety cables running through them. Both types of springs are quite durable, but they do eventually break. A pair of garage door springs can last for 7 to 12 years without having any problems. However, it depends on how much you use your garage door, of course. Also, you can prolong the life of your springs by lubricating them properly and servicing the garage door periodically. Keep in mind that other parts of the garage door may malfunction and place undue stress on the springs, causing them to fail prematurely. This is why maintaining your garage door using the services of an garage door company is very important. However, you need to accept the fact that the garage door springs will break at some point in time, no matter how much care you invest into them. So, let’s see how you can find out if the springs are causing you problems.

How to Identify If the Springs Are Faulty

The first sign that your garage door springs are damaged is the fact that the door can no longer open properly. It may even stop opening entirely. To make sure that the springs are at fault, all you have to do is to perform a quick inspection. In most cases, damaged springs can be identified during a visual inspection of the parts.

Look carefully at the springs to see if they are worn out. Also, look carefully to see if there are any separations in the springs. The springs must not be elongated or stretched if they are in working order. Even if the springs appear fine at first glance, don’t rule them out just yet.

Try to open the door manually. Close the garage door and disconnect the automatic garage door opener. Then, attempt to lift the door manually. The door should lift relatively easily and should remain open if the springs are in working order. If you encounter a lot of resistance and the door tends to slide back down, the springs are usually the main causes.

Another test you can perform is the force setting test. Open the door and then use the wall button or the remote to command the door to close. As it closes, attempt to hold the bottom of the garage door with both hands and prevent it from closing. The door should immediately sense resistance and reverse – this is a safety feature. If the door continues to close, the safety mechanism or the springs are having a problem. Needless to say, you need to remove your hands from underneath the door immediately if the door does not stop and does not reverse.

Fixing Garage Door Springs

In general, fixing garage door springs – either torsion or extension springs – requires the services of a garage door technician. Remember that torsion and extension springs hold the entire weight of the door. They are under huge amounts of stress when the door is operating. This is why you are strongly advised to stay away from tinkering with the springs if you don’t know what you are doing. Remember that springs can snap and can hurt people around them. There have been cases where people got seriously hurt by springs that snapped. And in many other cases, snapped springs have caused serious property damage. These parts can easily cause serious damage to your car or even your garage.