You Won’t Like the “Spring Break” in Your Garage

You aren’t going to like this spring break. When the spring in your garage breaks, it can cause a host of problems for you. The break is extremely loud and sounds similar to a gunshot.

When you hear the spring break in your garage, it’s enough to make your heart skip a few beats. When you check the garage for the source of the sound, you might not notice anything wrong right away. Yet, when you try to open your garage door, you will find that it doesn’t work right. One of the first things you will notice will be the sound that it makes.

When you look upward, you will find that the lifting spring has busted into two pieces, as in the photo below.

What could cause this to happen to the spring? You might have missed the warning signs of a bad spring. Check out this blog to learn more about your lifting spring and how it can break like this.

The Spring System is Highly Important

Before learning how the spring might break, you need to learn what the spring does and how it is used. There are two types of systems for residential garage doors.

1. TORSION SPRING

With this type of spring, a steel tube is placed over the head of the door and is solidly attached to the wall. The door’s weight is transferred to the anchor plate at the door’s center. If you do not have enough headroom over your door, the plate may instead need to be placed at the end of the horizontal tracks. When this happens, it is called a double horizontal track system or a low headroom track system.

2. EXTENSION SPRING

These types of springs are located on each side of the door and placed over the horizontal tracks. The coils of the spring extend to lift or lower the garage door. Garage door professionals will utilize safety cables with extension springs.

If a spring breaks, the safety cable ensures the spring will stop and not hit anything else in the garage or fall on your vehicle. If it were to fall it could cause damage, and it can even cause physical harm to you or anyone else in the garage.

You should also know that the spring system acts as a counterweight for the overall weight of the door. The total weight of a door that’s 9’x 7’and that includes a row of windows would have a deadweight of around 135 lbs.

If you expect to live the door with just one hand, you will need to make sure that it is counterbalanced. The spring helps with this.

A perfectly balanced garage door should only weight between eight and 10 lbs. This includes when it has an electric garage door opener attached. Door openers should only take the place of manual effort, even if the opener can handle much more weight.

Of course, you have to remember that openers that can handle a lot of weight pushing the door up can also use that same force to push down. Always make sure you are not in the path of the door when it is coming down.

Why Does a Lifting Spring Break?

The lifting spring might break for any number of reasons. Below are five of the most common.

1. Wear and Tear

The lifespan of a spring is between five and seven years. This is true whether it is an extension spring or a torsion spring. Many garage door manufacturers today are creating 10,000-cycle spring systems. Note that each cycle refers to one opening and closing of the door.

Therefore, if your garage door is two to four times each day, you would go through around 1500 cycles in a year.

Those who use their garage door more often may want something a little sturdier. There are some options for 20,000 and 25,000-cycle springs available.

2. Defects from the Manufacturer

While it is rare, defects can and do occur. With torsion springs, the cause could be rust due to low-quality galvanizing. With extension springs, this type of problem typically occurs with a break at the ring at the end of the spring.

3. Incorrect Spring Calibration

There are cases when the correct spring system is not installed. Although the door will still open and close, it will place more stress on the spring, door, and the opener. The springs are calibrated to operate correctly with a 5% variation. However, a spring that is used to lift a door that’s 100 lbs. should never be used with a door that weighs 150 lbs.

4. The Environment

Even the environment could cause issues. Most garages are humid and cold, and many do not have heating or insulation.

With heating and insulation, it’s still not full protection. Often, the springs are found near exterior walls, which means they remain cold and damp. Even with galvanization, there is a chance for rust to set into the spring. When it is cold, such as below -13⁰F (-25⁰C), the spring can start to dry out and break.

5. Lack of Maintenance

Like other parts of your home, the garage doors need to be maintained properly.

With twice-yearly lubrication of metal parts that come into contact with other metal parts, it can reduce this problem. You should lubricate once in the fall or winter as the temperatures start dropping below 32⁰F (0 ⁰C). You should repeat this process when the nighttime temperatures return to above freezing. The time of year can vary depending on where you live.

Boost Your Spring System’s Lifespan Easily

Lubricate Once Each Year or when needed.

It’s easy, all you need to do is use a non-drip lithium base oil. Use a cloth or spray carefully and apply it completely around the coils.

Wipe off the excess and that’s all there is to it. Lubrication keeps the springs in better shape and can help to eliminate clinking noises in springs.

After few years the lubricant might pick up some dust, you can easily wipe it off and replace the lubricant.

Check with your garage door dealer to get the lubricants you’ll need.

Who Can Help?

Often, you will find that you don’t have the time or the inclination to perform the maintenance on your garage door on your own. Consider using Garaga dealers that can provide a “ Garage Door Tune-up ” for your door. This will help to ensure that your door is working properly when you need it.

Springs Don’t Fix Themselves

Your springs are getting older, and you need help to get them into proper shape?

You can contact us at 724-834-8450.

Our team knows and understands garage doors and garage door openers, and we’re ready to help you. We can provide you with advice on what choices to make depending on your needs and your budget. We can even provide you with a quotation by email.

If you want to change out your garage door, check out our mobile-friendly Design Centre to see what works for your home.

You can also visit our Residential Garage Door Gallery to find some great ideas.