Assuming that you are like the majority of people, you very likely have paid pretty little attention to your overhead door springs. While easy to understand, this oversight is also a little bit unfair. There's definitely no other part in your garage door and garage door opener that is more vital to the raising and closing of the door. That's one reason for giving some respect to the springs. Here's one more: Overhead door springs are dangerous! Very dangerous. Do yourself a favor and review Garage Door Safety Tips prior to thinking about repairs or replacements.
It can be due to some problem with the garage door springs if you are having trouble with your garage door. (To find out more on determining garage door issues, check out Garage Door Troubleshooting.) Garage door springs do break, and they may be replaced. There are companies on the market who offer replacement springs to DIYers, and there are DIYers who have safely and successfully changed their own springs. I will not try to convince you not to take such approach if you require new springs, but I will definitely advise that you carefully weigh the dangers versus the benefits in this particular project before making a decision to do so. And I also advise that you make sure your medical insurance premium is paid up.
This particular information is not a how-to on overhead door spring replacement. It is intended to familiarize you with overhead door springs and a couple of the maintenance duties you may complete yourself.
Two Types of Garage Door Springs
There are two various styles of springs used on overhead door. Torsion springs are secured right above the closed garage door, while extension springs are located over the top tracks on both of these sides.
Garage Door Springs and Your Safety
(For tips on locating a trained overhead door expert, view How To Find the Best Overhead door Installers and Repairmen). If your garage door is old, or if it is revealing indications of age, let an experienced service provider inspect your garage door springs.
If the springs are simply squealing and otherwise generating a lot of noise, there are a couple of things you might want to do prior to calling in the troops. A little squeak does not always mean a huge issue, any more than an aching head means a brain tumor. Use some garage door lubricant to the springs and see if it makes any difference. In case it doesn't, you might have a significant complication developing. For more info suggestions on the best lubricants to use on your garage door, check out this site. For some additional recommendations on decreasing the noise of your overhead door, see How To Quiet a Noisy Overhead door.
Overhead door Safety Cables
The two designs of more info overhead door springs explored above work differently. A garage door with extension springs will have a safety cord on every side of the door going through the spring and linked to the wall or ceiling. These cords are an important safety element. Extension springs are under a lot of tension, and if one was to bust, it might inflict severe damage. Safety cables aid deal with a broken spring.
Contact a garage door professional and get a pair installed if you have extension springs on your garage door but can not see any safety cords.
Out of Balance Springs
The very best sign of a well-functioning overhead door is that it opens up and closes down smoothly and quietly. The issue can be significant when it quits operating as it should. Try running the garage door by hand (pull the cord attached to the arm connecting the rail trolley system to the door). If the door continues to be difficult to operate, the problem might be that the springs are out of balance. In this situation, you can be confident that the problem isn't going to take care of itself. And failing to deal with it could possibly lead to an escalating list of broken and worn parts. Get in touch with an expert RIGHT AWAY.
Garage Door Spring Brackets
Garage door springs are linked to joints on the bottom of the garage door. Just like the springs, those brackets are also under a great deal of pressure and can only be readjusted or otherwise serviced by a master. Newer types of overhead door have tamper-resistant brackets that prevent the inexperienced but curious among us from getting into trouble.