How Often Should You Replace Your Garage Door Springs?

Replacing your garage door springs is a process that requires specialized skills and tools. It is not something you can do yourself. You want to risk serious bodily harm (or property damage) by working with something under a great deal of tension. That is why the professionals at Omaha Garage Door Repair know how important it is to have a secure source for these services in your area.

A person with a single spring in their garage door may think that everything is normal. However, only having one spring means that the garage door will be forced to rely on only one spring to pull it up and down all day. Because of this, a person may need to replace their springs more often as compared to those with two working springs. Moreover, operating a garage door with one spring can also lead to more wear and tear on the door itself since its effectiveness is compromised by not having two working springs supporting the weight.

Why Do Garage Door Springs Break? 

A garage door spring, or torsion bar, is what lifts your garage door up and down. Garage door springs can break but most often it is due to wear and tear. They are the most frequent replacement item when your garage door is acting up or has stopped working. You can buy extended life span torsion springs to get more use out of your garage springs, but you will still need to replace them at some point.

Another contributor to broken garage door springs is rust. It shortens the spring’s life span and leads to more friction when the coils move. To reduce rusting and extend the life of your springs, apply a silicone-based lubricant every season.

Poorly adjusted springs can cause a garage door to become misaligned and damage the rollers, or worse, cause the springs to break. To maintain the smooth operation of your automatic garage door opener, check the balance every year. The emergency release cord should be accessible near the entrance of your home. To test your springs, pull on the cord until you feel resistance, then let go. If the door does not drop down, call a professional to adjust them as soon as possible.

What Type of Garage Spring Do You Need?

To replace the spring correctly, you will need to know what type you have. Extension and torsion springs are the two main types of springs. One end of an extension spring remains fixed, while the other moves to create tension in the spring. This type of spring is generally found on garage doors, windows, and storm shutters. Torsion springs are usually attached to garage door tracks along the top rail and bottom rail and perform best when used with a pulley system.

Torsion springs provide the resistance needed to keep your garage door closed and help keep the torsion bars on the shafts at an angle. They include three types of springs: 

• Open-looped extension springs
• Double-looped extension springs
• Clipped-end extension springs

Torsion springs sit on the metal shaft above the door opening. They get wound to a specific torsion that assists with the assembly. The four types are: 

• Early-set torsion springs
• Standard torsion springs
• Torque-master torsion springs
• Steel rolling door torsion springs

Carrying a broken spring can be dangerous, resulting in the potential loss of control and serious injury. This could be a risk to you, your family, and those around you. When you experience a spring that’s malfunctioning, we respond quickly to safely assess and provide solutions to the situation and get your household moving forward at full speed again.

Garage Door Repair Near Me

At Omaha Garage Door Repair, we know that a quality garage door service is key to keeping your home safe and secure. That is why we offer an extensive range of services, including garage door spring replacement. We use the latest technology and equipment to ensure that our services are top-notch, and our team of experts are always on hand to help you get the most out of your garage. So do not hesitate to call us today!