Why Do Garage Door Springs Break?
There are a lot of moving parts involved in keeping your garage door functioning. As parts wear out, you must fix or replace them to keep your door running at peak performance. Here’s everything you need to know about why garage door springs break and the steps you can take to help maintain them.
Springs are a vital part of your garage door opening system. They provide the tension needed to lift your door and allow you to exit and enter your garage. Because the springs are in constant use every day, it is common for homeowners to need garage spring repair in Fort Lauderdale. Over time, normal wear and tear cause spring to weaken and eventually break. It is a good idea to be on the lookout for signs of deterioration so you can address the problem before the springs fail.
What Springs Do You Have?
Depending on your garage door, you’ll have one of two types of springs:
1. Extension springs: These garage door springs work by expanding and contracting with the assistance of cables and pulleys when the door is opened. They’re usually mounted on either side of the garage door track.
2. Torsion springs: These springs are located horizontally on a steel shaft and are wound very tightly. They use tension to open and close your garage door.
Knowing which kind of garage door springs you have is useful, as you’ll know what you’re looking for if you ever have any issues with them. It’s also good to know this information if you ever need to call for garage door service in Fort Lauderdale as you can give the service technician a more detailed description of the problem.
Why Your Garage Door Springs Break
There are several reasons why garage door springs break. Here are some of the most common reasons that you’ll come across:
- Wear and tear: In most cases, the reason your garage door springs are breaking is simply that they’ve reached the end of their life. Most springs are guaranteed for around 10,000 door opening cycles. While that sounds like a lot, you’d be amazed at how quickly you can go through that many cycles. Before you know it, you’ve gone through them all, and now your springs are worn out or even broken.
- Rust: Rust is a common problem with springs, and it drastically reduces their lifespan. When spring gets rusty, the rust increases friction when the coil is in use, as well as weakens the structure of the spring. This means that springs are more likely to break while they’re in use if you let rust build up.
- Lack of maintenance: If you’re not paying attention to your garage door springs, you won’t notice when they are beginning to break down and near the end of their life, making it much more likely that the spring will break and you’ll need to have it replaced. Taking good care of your garage door springs allows you to get more out of them before they need replacing.
Maintaining Your Springs
The best way to get the most out of your springs is to perform regular maintenance. This doesn’t take much time, but it’ll give you a better handle on how your springs are holding up, and help you to decide when to replace them, rather than waiting for them to break.
Three or four times a year, lubricate the springs along with any other moving parts on the door. This ensures that they’re moving smoothly and protects them from rust.
You’ll also want to inspect the springs regularly. If they’re still tightly coiled and wound up, they’re in good shape. If they’re starting to look loose, you should look into replacing them.
If you’re not sure about how to maintain your garage door springs, or you need to have them replaced, it’s worth calling a garage door repair company. They’ll help you get them swapped out for new springs when their time is up. While some people try to replace the springs on their garage door by themselves, we don’t recommend this as working on a garage door can be very dangerous if done incorrectly. Calling a professional to do the job for you is a much safer and more practical way to have your garage door repaired.
Having well-maintained garage door springs is essential. Without them, your garage door won’t work effectively. Keep the springs maintained and call in help when you need them repaired. Taking care of the springs will keep your garage safe and secure.
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