Aging garage door springs cause the door to effectively “weigh” more as the steel loses its resiliency. With new springs, a heavy garage door should take no more than 10 pounds of force to lift into an open position.
With springs nearing the end of their lifespan, the force required to lift the door can be considerably more, since a garage door may weigh 200 pounds or more.
A garage door with aging falling springs an enormous load on a garage door opener, so another sign of failing springs is when you hear the electric door opener begin to strain as it attempts to lift the door.
At this point, it’s time to consider replacing the springs.
Aging door springs can also break suddenly, a situation that can cause the door to slam shut violently.
If you happen to be present when a spring breaks, you will hear a very loud sound like a gunshot, because the break usually occurs when the spring is fully-loaded (stretched or twisted to its full tension).
When one spring breaks, the door will suddenly feel very heavy when you try to open it by hand, and an automatic garage door opener may no longer be able to lift the door at all.
Maintenance involves the full replacement of both springs at the same time.
Safety Considerations
If you have a garage door opener and you suspect that there is at least one broken garage door spring, do not disconnect the opener from the door (by pulling the red emergency release handle) while the door is open.
If you do, the door can come crashing down under its nearly full weight, with nothing to stop it.
This is an extremely dangerous situation. Additionally, it’s never safe to leave the door open when a spring has broken, as someone may try to close the door without realizing how heavy it is.
If you need to leave the door open until you can make repairs, block the door track on both sides so the door can’t move, and unplug the garage door opener (if you have one).
If you want to close the door, you can try closing it with the opener, making sure there’s nothing in the door’s path in case something goes wrong. Alternatively, you can have a few strong helpers hold the door while you disconnect it from the opener and carefully close the door manually.
When to Call a Professional
It is possible to replace a garage door spring yourself, but it’s often recommended that garage door springs should always be replaced by pros.
If you hire a pro, make sure to ask about the quality of the springs they will install.
Because your automatic garage door opener has been under some strain as the springs have become more worn and less effective, this is also a good time to evaluate the opener.
The same technician who replaces the springs can also replace the opener if it is nearing the end of its life.
For more information on the falling springs options we offer, contact our garage door experts online or give us a call today for your free estimate.
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