Is your garage door spring broken or faulty? Making sure that your garage door operates properly is important to not just the security of your home, but to the safety of your home as well. The last thing you want to do is to continue using a garage door that has broken or faulty springs – the more strain you put on them, the more likely they are to fail completely, which could cause the garage door to come crashing down.
The importance of garage door springs
The garage door is usually very heavy. The springs are what makes it easy for the garage door to be lifted via the garage door opener or even manually, despite the weight. There are two main types of garage door springs – torsion springs and extension springs. Torsion springs can be found on the wall above the garage door and are used for larger garage doors. Extension springs are either on the sides of one-piece garage door, or above the horizontal tracks utilizing a cable, and pulley system.
Identifying is garage door spring is broken or faulty
The following are the different signs of broken or faulty garage door springs that you should look for. We recommend visually checking your garage door springs for these signs at least once a month to ensure that your garage door is operating safely and securely.
- The most obvious sign that something might be wrong with your springs is if the door simply refuses to open. This could be indicative of several issues with the garage door opener, one of which could be an issue with the springs. If this occurs, it’s best if you schedule an inspection with a professional that can properly diagnose the problem.
- Look for signs of wear or damage in the different components of your garage door by standing inside the garage and inspecting them with the door closed. Look at the garage door springs, mounting hardware, pulleys, cables, and rollers for any signs of damage or wear. It’s important to realize that even if the springs appear in good shape, damage to other components put more stress on the rest of the garage door, which means that there’s more of a risk that your springs will experience damage. As for the condition of the springs themselves, look for the following:
- Check to see if the springs are visibly worn out.
- Check to see if there’s a separation in the spring.
- Check to see if there is a loss of tension in the springs. You can usually tell if there is a loss of tension if the springs have become stretched out or elongated.
- Check to see if you can manually open the garage door. If you have an automatic opener system, then disconnect the automatic opener after you’ve closed the door. If the springs are in good working condition, then you should be able to lift the garage door open easily. There should be very little resistance and the door should remain open once you’ve lifted it all the way up. If the garage door is difficult to lift or won’t remain open, then there may be an issue with the springs.
- If you have an automatic opener system, then perform a force setting test. Wait until the garage door is fully open. Then either use the garage door wall button or your garage door opener’s transmitter to automatically close the door. As the garage door closes, stand by the garage door, and hold the bottom of the garage door with your hands outstretched. All new garage doors are equipped with a safety reversing mechanism, which means that the door should immediately stop closing, and then reverse itself. If you find that the garage door has difficulty reversing itself – or it simply keeps closing, remove your hands immediately. There’s a good possibility that there is either an issue with the safety mechanism or the springs.
You should try to check your garage door for these signs of broken or faulty springs monthly if possible. If you do identify any of these signs, then you should schedule a professional garage door inspection right away. Never attempt to repair or replace your garage door springs on your own. Because of the tension the springs exhibit, they can cause serious injury if handled incorrectly.
Preventing garage door spring damage
A standard garage door spring should last between seven and 12 years before the stress it experiences through usage requires it to be replaced. You can reduce the risk of garage door spring damage by applying a small amount of spray lubricant to the garage door’s components twice a year.
If you don’t feel comfortable checking for yourself if your garage door spring is broken or faulty, be sure to schedule a professional garage door inspection today from America’s Finest Garage Doors & Gate, Inc.