A complete overview of automatic garage door springs

Automatic garage door springs

The springs of the garage door are often overlooked by many of the door owners, but it is really crucial for raising and lowering the door. Hence one must pay attention to it and must have basic knowledge of its functioning to carry out basic repairs and have knowledge of the safety precautions pertaining to automatic garage door springs. Some people think that it is quite dangerous to handle or repair these door springs, which is not completely false. If proper safety measures are not taken care, then there are chances of getting injured.

If your garage door is not functioning properly then it means, there are issues with the automatic garage door springs. Often the door springs tend to break, hindering the proper working of the door, in such a case, they should be replaced at the earliest. You can find a spring for replacement at several stores and once purchased, you should follow proper instructions and steps to replace the springs successfully on your own. But if you are not sure about doing it then you must surely take help of an expert.  Let us first understand the types and other details about the door springs.

Types of garage door springs

Automatic garage door springs come in two different types i.e. torsion and extension springs. While the torsion springs are attached just above the position of the closed garage door, the extension ones are placed above the upper tracks of the door on both the sides.

Safety tips while handling automatic garage door springs

It is important to keep a check on safety concerns while handling door springs. These springs are very tightly wound to the door and are under a lot of tension. As a result of this tension when they break or if they are fiddled with, then it can cause a lot of injuries. So, if you are not confident of repairing or handling door springs, then it is best that you take professional help rather than getting injured. If your garage door is quite old, then you should hire a contractor to seek advice and to inspect the automatic garage door.

Automatic garage door springs

If the springs are just making some noise, then there is no need to call an expert as you can handle the issue on your own. All you need to do is to apply some sort of door lubricant to the door springs and then check if there is any difference in the sound that it makes. But if that does not help then you might need an inspection of the door.

Safety cables for garage door: the two types of automatic garage door springs work completely differently and so you must know which type is fitted on your door. Mostly if you are having extension springs then there would be a safety cable on either side of the door. These cables are meant for the safety of the door in case of a broken spring. If you do not have safety cables for extension springs, then you must get them installed immediately. 

How to know that your automatic garage door springs are out of balance

If your garage door opens and shuts smoothly without making any noise, then it is functioning properly. But if it does not, then there can be a serious problem. You can operate the door manually in that case to check the issue. But if you find it difficult to operate manually as well then, the springs are out of balance. In this case, either you can fix the problem on your own or contact a professional.