How to Change Garage Door Springs: Step by Step: Homeowners are often tempted to consider fixing a faulty spring on their own, but considering the risks of personal injury and property damage, it’s wise to reach out to a professional technician.
As the source of the best garage door spring repair Cincinnati has to offer, AE Door & Window can restore function to your automatic garage door system.
In this handy guide to garage door spring replacement, we’ll discuss what garage door springs do, how to spot a spring in need of repair, when and where to get a garage door spring repaired and why you should never try to manage this repair on your own.
Our goal is to provide you with the information you need to make the best decision for the safety of your family and the value of your home.
What Exactly Change Garage Door Springs Do?
Garage doors are heavy. Whether your garage door is attached to a mechanical lifter or needs to be manually lifted, it would take enormous effort to move if there were no garage springs, making it far less convenient than it’s designed to be. These robust springs counteract the weight of a door, making it easier to lift manually or with an automatic opener system.
If you have a manual garage door or detach it from the lifting mechanism, you may notice that it takes about the same amount of force to lift your door as it does to lower it — this is because the springs are doing the majority of the lifting for you.
There are two main types of garage door springs installed in most garages:
- Torsion springs: These springs offer optimal stability and tend to last quite long as a durable option. Torsion springs provide a seamless, fluid lift motion. Most newer garage door systems use torsion springs for these reasons.
- Extension springs: Many older garage doors use extension springs. These springs are slightly jerky and a bit less durable, although they provide added lift for heavy garage doors.
If your garage door system uses extension springs, it’s worthwhile to consider upgrading to a torsion spring. Upgrading this part will improve the movement of the door on the rollers, ensuring the door opens and closes smoothly.
When Should I Replace My Garage Door Spring?
Beyond making lifting garage doors more manageable, the springs play a crucial role in reducing the wear and tear on your entire system. The balance and lift assistance provided by springs ensures that the lifting mechanism doesn’t wear out and that the tracks for your garage door don’t get abused by the constant up and down of the door.
You can run a few tests to determine if it’s time to replace or repair your garage door springs.
Check if the Door Slips in an Open Position
Move the door into the open position and then pull the lift release cord. This cord is designed to revert your door to manual if you lose power. When you release the lift mechanism from the door, it should not move at all or only slightly. Even without the lift mechanism, the springs should be strong enough to hold the door’s weight in the open position.
If the door starts to sink back into the vertical tracks, the springs can no longer fully hold the door in the open position.
Test the Door’s Movement
When garage door springs reach the end of their lifespans, they become less robust, which puts more strain on other components in the system. When this happens, the heavy garage door becomes unbalanced and harder to move.
Manually pull the door in a half-open position using the release cord. If moving the door manually is a sticky, jerky task or if the door slips during movements, it might be time to replace the garage door springs.
Check if the Door Drops in a Half-Open Position
But this won’t be the case when the door is in a half-open position — gravity will become an influential factor.
If you have extension springs, you can also inspect the springs for noticeable damage. There are also times when the garage door springs don’t need to be replaced, although they need to be readjusted.
Why Is A Balanced Door So Important Anyway?
Garage door springs in good condition ensure the door is easy to lift.
As the door struggles along the rollers, jerking and shuddering, the panel scrapes against the other components of the system. If you’re beginning to see scrapes on the exterior paint of your garage door, imbalanced springs are likely to blame.
For example, if you have a multiple-spring system, you may witness the results of one spring failing.
However, all it takes is one snap of the spring to cause dangerous and damaging events. That’s why you want to ensure that your springs are always in peak condition.
How to Change Garage Door Springs: Step by Step
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