The Risks of DIY Garage Door Springs

Are you thinking of DIY garage door springs replacement because your garage door struggling to open and close? Don’t do it yourself since it’s a risky job.This problem could be due to a bad torsion spring, and you may need to have a garage door repair. With many videos tutorials on the internet, it may seem simple. Most of us like to take on many DIY home projects. However, not every home repair should be taken care of by yourself, especially if you don’t have the experience. Garage door repair in Clearwater, FL recommends you NEVER to attempt to replace the garage door springs by yourself as this can be incredibly dangerous.  Springs hold a considerable amount of tension that allows them to lift and lower the door every time. When the springs get loose, rusty or crack, they can stop working and can crash down and crush anything in its path.

How do garage springs work in the first place?

garage door spring mechanism

There is a wide variety of garage doors, they range in sizes and styles, however; there are only two types of garage springs: The torsion spring ant the extension spring. The most common type of garage door system is a torsion spring system. This mechanism is mounted horizontally above the door in a lot of them. The garages also has some that the spring goes on the bottom As the door comes down, the cables that are attached to the bottom corners of the door cause the springs to spool up creating some stored energy. The other type of garage door is the one that uses an extension spring system. In this mechanism, the springs attach to cables which connect to bottom corners of the door. When the garage door closes the springs join together. When the door is open the energy that is stored lifts the door.

How long do these springs last?

garage door spring repair To estimate the lifespan of springs, we work with operation cycles. A typical system last 10,000 cycles. Meaning that if you use your garage door twice per day, the spring system will endure you over 12 years. So, why is it so dangerous to do a garage door springs replacement? When the door has reached these 10,000 estimated cycles, the steel in the springs will weaken and eventually break. As we explained before, both torsion and extension spring systems operate under excessive tension, as they hold the entire weight of the door.

Unless you are a trained technician, we do not recommend you to do a DIY garage door springs replacement.

sure fix garage door logo introduction If a spring breaks, the garage door will fall abruptly due to a large amount of energy stored in its springs. The whole weight of the door will fall of crushing anything on its path, which can cause you a severe injury or property damage. Also, to attempt a repair, you would have to have some experience in the area, as you need to under would need to know how the springs, drums, lifting cables and brackets all work.

What should you do if my spring breaks?

Even knowing that springs last about 10,000 cycles, it is challenging to determine when the springs are close to reaching this cycle unless we keep a strict record.  What we recommend you is to have your garage door inspected at least once a year. Providing regular maintenance to your garage door will prevent potential issues. Experts will be on the lookout for broken, damaged or rusty components and also will apply lubricant if needed. If you still want to DYI, we suggest you secure the area by keeping the door in a closed position. If your door was open while the garage door spring broke, attempt to close it and then unplug the garage opener. Then call your emergency repair service.
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