Garage Door Springs — What You Need to Know 

Garage doors are your home’s largest moving part and are a crucial part of daily life. When your garage door is broken, it might be hard to identify the reason. When garage door springs wear out, they can cause several issues with your door’s operation. Depending on the garage door’s material, construction and size, it could weigh 100 pounds or more, and springs are essential for safely controlling this heavy weight. Garage door springs serve the purpose of assisting the door up and down with ease, whether opened with the machine or manually. Learn more about garage door springs and why it is so dangerous to try fixing them on your own.

How to Know If Your Garage Door Springs Are Broken 

What should you do if your garage door has a broken spring? Should you open a garage door with a broken spring? A faulty spring can damage your garage and cause an unsafe environment. We suggest checking your garage door’s operation monthly to reduce future hazards. 

When a garage door spring breaks, you will immediately be aware of the issue. The built-up tension and pressure will release, resulting in a loud banging garage door noise. 

If you are unsure whether your garage door springs are functioning correctly here are a few signs that can point to a faulty spring.

• Garage door won’t open or close: If your garage door refuses to open, there’s likely a problem with the core components, either the opener or the springs. If your door will not open mechanically, check for signs of wear and call your garage door specialists to assess the issue. Additionally, if your garage door will not open manually, this is a direct sign of faulty springs. The door should open and close easily with the help of the springs. 
• Misaligned or crooked door: Often, when a spring breaks, a garage door will become misaligned, uneven, stuck in its tracks or pushed off track. These issues can cause a noisy garage door.
• Visible signs of wear: Wear and tear can also signify broken springs. Most commonly, separated or stretched springs occur. In this case, springs could be at risk of breaking, which can cause your garage door to come crashing down. 
• Excessive movement: If you carefully watch your door’s movement, you might also detect a broken spring. A door might jerk when opened or closed, fall quickly with no control when attempting to close or open a few inches and stop dead in its tracks. 

Should I Replace My Garage Door Springs Myself? 

Once you’ve identified the issue, you might wonder if you can get the job done yourself. Because garage door springs are under extreme tension, you should always call trained professionals to replace them. There are many reasons this replacement is not a do-it-yourself job.

• Proper tools: Just like any job, replacing garage door springs requires the correct tools for the job. Otherwise, there is a risk of injury to yourself or your garage door system. 
• Spring sizing: The spring size needs to match the garage system’s function. Installing the incorrect spring can cause serious damage to the garage door itself or the opener system. 
• Other hazards: Replacing extension springs without a professional can result in accidents such as a fallen garage door or dangerous cuts from rusted machinery. Replacing torsion springs can also be hazardous. These springs are under severe amounts of tension, and one wrong move can cause the spring to snap or unwind, sending metal debris flying. 

At Hunter Door, we offer professional services and repairs to ensure your garage door system’s safety. Skip out on the hazards of replacing garage door springs yourself and leave it to our team of experts!

Understanding the Types of Garage Door Springs 

Extension springs are long and skinny. They are parallel to the door’s tracks and store energy when stretched. 

• Open-looped extension springs rely on a single wire at the end of the spring. They are also weaker compared to other extension springs. 
• Double-looped extension springs represent the next step up from an open-looped extension spring. This spring has dual coils that connect to a pulley. 
• Clipped-end extension springs are the most durable kind and tend to last longer.

Torsion springs are broad springs found on the shaft around the door opening. These springs, wound to specific torsion metrics, may have companion springs based on the door’s size and weight.

• Standard torsion springs are typical features of lighter garage doors in a residential setting.
• Early-set torsion springs are the same as standard springs, except they are in the middle of the shaft.
• TorqueMaster torsion springs enclose the spring within a shaft held in place at the end of each torsion rod.

Our Services Go Beyond Broken Garage Door Springs 

At Hunter Door, we pride ourselves on providing quality products and services to our neighbors in Moorestown, N.J., and the surrounding communities. We offer garage doors, garage door repair and maintenance, plus entryway doors in different sizes and colors. The trusted brands we sell including Clopay and LiftMaster. Customize your new garage door with a wide range of style and color options.

We offer our repair and maintenance services in the South Jersey area, where our trained experts will assist with your garage door needs. Whether your job is big or small, trust Hunter Door to get the job done right. 

If you’re worried about your garage door’s performance or suspect you have a broken spring, we’re here to help anytime. Remember, these tasks can be dangerous if not performed by a trained professional. Let us take the stress out of your day — contact us today!