Broken Garage Door Spring
A broken spring makes operating your door nearly impossible.
If your car is stuck inside, it can be a real inconvenience and a dangerous situation.
Our crew operates 24/7 repairing garage doors and springs.
If you need immediate repairs, call the local garage door experts at Sawtooth!
Garage Door Spring Replacement
Replacing garage door springs is by far the most common call we get. The springs do most of the heavy lifting for your door so they are crucial for smooth garage door operation.
There are two types of springs found on garage doors: torsion springs and extension springs.
Torsion Springs
Torsion springs apply their force by twisting or torquing around a center axis. When the spring is installed, a garage door technician manually winds the spring so there is some force stored in the spring when the door is closed.
The torsion spring wants to unwind by lifting the door but the weight of the door keeps it in place. As a result, there is a balance between the door and the spring.
This stored force allows you to lift a door that weighs over 100 pounds with little effort. As you lift the door, the spring unwinds, reducing the upward force which coincides with the weight of the door being transferred to the horizontal tracks.
Torsion springs are mounted on a shaft over the top of the door. The shaft has a rotating drum on each end.
A cable is attached to the bottom of the door and the drum on each side of the door. When the door is opened, the spring unwinds as it lifts the doors with the cable and drum assembly on both sides of the door.
When the door is closed, the spring winds, storing force for the next time the door is opened.
It’s a balancing act from start to finish and a well adjusted torsion spring plays a critical role.
Extension Springs
Unlike torsion springs, extension springs stretch and contract like a slinky.
The spring is attached on one end to a rear hanger bracket and the other end is attached to the bottom of the door through a cable and pulley system.
As the door is closed, the spring stretches storing potential energy for when the door needs to be opened again.
When the door is opened, the spring retracts adding extra “lift” for the door.
The stretching of the spring and the weight of the door provide a counterbalance so the door never feels too heavy and is easily controlled going up or down.
Spring Repair Safety
The secret to garage doors is the balance between the energy stored in garage door springs and the weight of the door.
The apparent weight of the door is dependent on how much of the door is in the vertical position.
A fully closed door feels heaviest because the horizontal brackets along the ceiling are holding none of the weight. As the door is opened, the horizontal tracks take on more of the weight making the door seem lighter.
Therefore, the balance between the springs and the door is critical for safe operation and to avoid unnecessary stress on other components.
Garage door springs work hard and can store a lot of energy and force. As a result, this makes them dangerous in the hands of untrained professionals. Injuries resulting from improper handling of springs are all too common.
Have a professional replace your springs!
It’s not worth the risk. Always call a professional garage door repair service like Sawtooth Garage Doors so you get springs replaced safely.
Heavy Duty Springs
Standard springs last 10,000 cycles on average so you can expect them to last 5-7 years depending on usage.
High cycle garage doors springs are made with thicker gauge steel and last longer. For a modest increase in part cost, you can get a 25,000 cycle torsion spring that can last twice as long as a standard spring. We think this is a wise investment and recommend it to all our clients.
If our crew is out to replace your springs, why not install a heavy duty spring that will last longer? It doesn’t cost that much more and you can double or even triple the life of the spring.
We’d be happy to discuss your options for upgrading your springs during our visit to you site.
Common Questions
Garage door springs provide additional lift and control for a garage door. Garage doors typically weight more than 150lbs so without some extra help, they are hard to lift manually or with an opener. There are two types of springs used in garage doors: torsion springs and extension springs.
Torsion springs are pre-wound or coiled up by a certified garage door tech so they have some force stored in them. They naturally want to unwind but the weight of the door keeps them from unwinding. But when some upward force is applied to a closed door, that energy in the spring plus the applied force allows the door to open with minimal effort.
Extension springs do the same thing except instead of winding and unwinding, they stretch and compress like a slinky toy. When the door is closed, the spring is stretched out and want to compress but the weight of the door keeps it balanced. A small applied force in addition to the stored energy in the stretched spring will allow the door to be opened.
In both cases, as the door is opened, the door weight is transferred to the horizontal tracks which means less downward force. As the door closes, more weight is transferred vertically while the springs provide more and more upward force, thus preventing the door from crashing down.
In summary, the springs provide additional force to maintain a balance between the weight of the door and the energy stored in the springs.
Replacing a spring will typically cost around $250 for a standard spring including hardware and labor.
Yes it is. The amount of force stored or required in a spring is enough to help lift and lower a garage door weighing several hundred pounds. If the spring snaps or unwinds in an uncontrolled way, any parts improperly attached, like a tightening wrench, can fly off and cause tremendous harm or kill.
Saving a few hundred dollars is not worth the risk!
The life of your springs are affected by a number of factors:
- the number of daily garage door cycles (a cycle is one open and close)
- the quality and construction of the spring which determine the expected cycle rating
- maintenance and care of the springs
- your environment (metal springs are prone to rust and corrosion)
Standard springs are rated at 10,000 cycles and can be expected to last 7-9 years on average. Heavy duty springs, rated at 50,000 cycles can last up to 45 years if maintained well given the same usage pattern.
In a word, yes. Garage door springs have cycle ratings, where a cycle is an open and close starting from the closed position. The number of cycles a spring is rated for is determined by the construction of the spring including wire width, coil diameter and length. It also assumes the spring is properly maintained.
A standard spring is rated at 10,000 cycles. Assuming an average of 3 cycles per day, that would be 1,095 cycles per year. So a standard spring would last around 9 years. Higher quality springs have higher cycle ratings. Look at the chart below to get a cost per year estimate based on average spring cost and cycle rating:
10,000 cycles / 1095 cycles per year = 9.13 years
$84.00 Per Pair/ 9.13 years = $9.20 per year
20,000 cycles / 1095 cycles per year = 18.26 years
$96.00 Per Pair / 18.26 years = $5.26 per year
30,000 cycles / 1095 cycles per year = 27.40 years
$108.00 Per Pair / 27.4 years = $3.94 per year
50,000 cycles / 1095 cycles per year = 45.66 years
$120.00 Per Pair / 45.66 years = $2.63 per year
In summary, to go from a standard spring to a 50,000 cycle heavy duty spring is an extra $40 (50%) in part cost but you get 500% longer life and lower annual cost. So on an average replacement cost including parts and labor of $250, and extra $40 seems like money well spent!
Certain types of springs need periodic lubrication. To clarify, if your garage door uses extension springs, no lubrication is necessary. Extensions springs stretch or “extend” resulting in little friction.
On the other hand, torsion springs are wound up or down as the garage door opens or closes resulting in friction as the coils rub against each other. If you have powder coated torsion springs, no lubrication is necessary.
That leaves the more common galvanized torsion spring which does benefit from periodic lubrication. It’s important to use the preferred lithium grease spray or a silicone spray.
Never use WD-40 to lubricate your torsion spring (or other garage door components). WD-40 is a degreaser and will remove the all-important lubricating grease.
To lubricate the torsions springs, with the help of a stepladder, simply spray a reasonable amount of lithium grease across the top of the spring from end to end. After spraying, open and close the door a few times to work the grease in.
We recommend lubricating the torsion springs once or twice a year for optimal spring performance.
There are a number of tell-tale signs that your springs are broken or are on their last legs. If any of these signs exist, it’s probably a good idea to get them repaired right away.
Door Opener Doesn’t Open The Door All the Way
A working spring provides force to help open the door. If the spring is broken, the garage door opener will sense the lack of assist and stop to prevent damage to the motor.
Door Crashes When Closing
Springs provide a balancing upward force so it closes gently. If the spring is defective, the door has nothing but gravity working and the heavy door will crash to the ground.
Door Doesn’t Open Evenly
If a single spring in a pair is broken, the amount of lift on both sides will not be the same resulting in the door opening unevenly.
Single Loud Bang From the Garage
Springs can break spontaneously and when they do, it’s not subtle. If you hear a loud bang from the garage, do a visual check on your springs. If one is broken, call for service before operating the door to protect other system components.
Noisy Door Operation
Failing springs can make some scary noises. If you’re hearing unusual noises when the door opens or closes, have a look at springs and if you suspect the springs are the culprit, get them serviced. It’s better to be proactive than get a nasty surprise when you least expect it!
Gaps In The Spring
If you see a gap in the spring coil, it’s broken. Don’t bother trying the door, you could cause more damage. Call for service and get the springs replaced.
