There is often a confusion about the way garage doors open and close. Many people are under the impression that the door goes up and down thanks to the opener. Although this is partial true, it’s not the whole truth. Garage door openers provide the electric power to make these huge panels move. But they wouldn’t be able to move the door without some ‘muscle’ power too. Garage door springs come to fill that void. And so when springs break, the door won’t move – unless you are Goliath.
Assuming that torsion and extension springs for garage doors are essential parts, we can only conclude that we always want them to remain in an excellent condition. One thing you should always keep in mind is that springs of all types are designed to last for a particular number of cycles – that is a full opening and closing cycle of the door. So there will come a time when the spring will break. The key is to keep it going till then. How to do that? Read on.
Why garage door springs need extra good care
There is only a handful of garage door spring repairs you can do to keep
these parts in good condition. But spring maintenance is extremely important. If you don’t take care of springs, they will become noisy. And they make noises when they are rusty. They become rusty because they are made of steel and thus are affected by the elements and humidity.
No matter how frustrating noises might be, that’s not the main reason why extension and torsion spring repair is needed. Your main concern is always your safety when it comes to garage doors. With the springs rusty, it’s only a matter of time before they snap. And if they snap with you standing around, they might hit you. If they hit you, you will be seriously injured because springs are under tension.
If they break when the door is open, get ready for new expenses. If you are lucky and nobody stands under the door at that time, you will only need property damage repair and garage door repair. That’s because the door will slam down with force. If the car is left under the door, you will need to repair the car.
On the other hand, if the door is shut when the spring breaks, you will simply not be able to open it. And that will only affect your convenience.
Which garage door spring repairs you need to do
- Inspect the tension of the springs by disconnecting the garage door opener
and lifting the door mid-way. Then let it slide. It shouldn’t. It should remain in place. If it slides down or is lifted upwards, extension or torsion spring adjustment is needed. - Lubricate the springs. Oils will keep the coils from getting rusty and will eliminate noises.
- Check that the garage door cables are in good condition too. Don’t forget that springs & cables work together and one can affect the other.
Remember that it’s hard to tell when it’s time for garage door spring replacement. That’s if you want to change springs before they break. So it’s wise to write down the date you first buy and install them. Calculate how many times you use the door daily to find out when you should replace springs based on their cycle life.
