A broken garage door spring can inconvenience a homeowner since they might not access their garage. Working on a garage door spring can be a risky proposition due to the immense tension force that can lead to severe injuries or even death. Therefore, consult a professional to replace a garage door spring because an expert will use a combination of experience, skills, and proper tools to execute the work. Before you start working on a broken spring, ensure that you disconnect the power cord for safety reasons. Here are key tips for replacing a broken garage door spring.
Why Garage Door Springs Break
Since a garage door spring is continuously under tension force, the spring will ultimately yield to pressure and break. However, a garage door spring can last up to 10 years or 10,000 cycles. Imagine sustaining the weight of a garage door coupled with other hardware for years on end. As you open and close a garage door, the spring will extend or wound accordingly under pressure. The constant tightening and loosening will finally take its toll on the spring, which will eventually give in.
Signs of Failing Garage Door Spring
The force needed for lifting a garage door tends to increase as the springs age because of reduced tension. Also, a straining door opener can be a sign that your springs are faulty. The last sign, which will occur unexpectedly, is snapping off of a spring as it breaks under full tension. You are likely to hear a sound akin to a gunshot or firecracker when a spring breaks.
Type of Springs
Garage door springs come in different shapes and sizes. Therefore, you should know the type of spring in your garage door before considering replacement. The most common types of springs are extension springs and torsion springs. Extension springs are the kind that runs parallel to door tracks. Therefore, when a door opens, the springs stretch.
Extension springs are available in different configurations including open-looped, double-looped, and clipped-end with the latter being the strongest, and thus, able to support a heavy garage door. Torsion springs are often located on a metal shaft above the entrance of a garage. Such springs are supported by aluminium drums on both ends to create the tension needed for opening and closing a garage door. Work with an expert to determine the right replacement springs for your garage door.
Replace Springs in Pairs
Remember that garage door springs often come in pairs; hence, you should replace all of them even if only one spring is broken. Replacing one spring can cause uneven tension because a newer spring has more tension compared to an old spring. You can address this aspect by contacting garage door motor repair services.