Broken Garage Door Springs: Common Signs, Preventative Maintenance & How to Repair

How To Prevent Your Garage Door Springs From Breaking

Most people don’t think about their garage door springs until they stop working. Like everything else in your home, garage door springs have a life expectancy and occasionally need maintenance or replacement in order to keep your garage door running smoothly. Check out this guide to garage door springs from your trusted Gilbert garage door repair service.

How To Prevent Your Garage Door Springs From Breaking In Arizona

The Basics: Types Of Garage Door Springs

Garage door springs are the coiled piece of metal that enables your garage door to open and close smoothly. The exact maintenance and repair of your garage door springs will depend on which type of you have: extension or torsion.

Extension springs are most commonly used in residential garage doors. They extend when the door is closed, and retract using cables and pulleys when the door is opened. Since the springs are under intense pressure, safety cables are installed.

Torsion springs are generally reserved for heavy duty industrial garage doors. As many as four torsion springs may be installed, depending upon the size and type of door.

How Will I Know If my Garage Door Spring Is Broken?

The first sign of a broken garage door spring is that your door will not function smoothly. It may have difficulty opening or closing. If the springs are disconnected, you may see them swaying. Another indication is that your garage door is bent. Since the springs are not supporting their normal amount of weight, the garage door is forced to carry the extra weight and can break or bend under the pressure. You may also notice that your garage door is closing faster than normal. If you notice any of these signs, contact Chandler same day garage door service for diagnosis and repair.

Why Do Garage Door Springs Break?

Most commonly, garage door spring break due to regular wear and tear. Garage door springs are manufactured with a certain lifespan in mind – usually 10,000-20,000 cycles, depending upon the type of spring and its brand. This may seem like a lot of cycles, but when you think about how many times per day you open and close your garage door, it adds up quickly. The expected lifespan for garage door springs is 5-7 years with average use.

Certain factors can reduce the lifespan of your garage door springs. For example, rust will increase the friction in the coils as they expand and retract. Lubricating the springs a few times a year can help prevent this problem and keep your springs running smoothly.

How To Maintain Garage Door Springs

Maintaining your garage door springs will prolong their lifespan and give you insight into when they start to fail so Glendale garage door repair can address the issue right away. All springs will fail eventually, but a little TLC in the form of lubrication a few times a year and regularly cleaning away dust and debris will help them last as long as possible. Springs are most likely to fail during colder winter weather.

Every few months, check your garage door’s balance. You can do this by following these steps:

Put your door in manual mode by pulling the emergency cable.

Lift the door halfway and let it go.

If the springs are in good condition, they will hold the door in position.

If the door sags or falls, springs are beginning to wear down and need replacement.

Repairing a Broken Garage Door Spring

It’s possible to order parts online or get them through a home improvement store, but due to their extreme tension, replacing or repairing broken garage door springs can be a dangerous job. Professional help from Queen Creek garage door repair services is strongly recommended to avoid the risk of serious injury.

Can I Open My Garage Door If The Springs Are Broken?

Unfortunately, without springs, a garage door is not safe to operate manually or with an opener. A variety of problems can happen, including:

The door panels may crumble from the unbalanced weight.

You could strip the gears in the garage door opener.

The opener motor could burn out.

The supporting rails might bend.

Components of the opener carriage could break off as the motor has to work extra hard to open the door.

In rare situations, the opener can fall out of the ceiling, causing more damage along with electrical hazards.

If your garage door’s springs are broken, the best solution is to contact Scottsdale garage repair to get things replaced professionally. Then you can be sure your garage door is in good condition and functioning as intended.

Contact Trusted Garage Door Repair Service In Gilbert

Whether you have a residential or commercial garage door that needs new springs, Same Day Garage Door Services is prepared to get the job done right! We provide quality services throughout the East Valley backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Get your garage door back up and running by giving us a call today!