Broken Garage Door Spring Season
Every year during October, the weather tends to cool a bit in the morning. When this happens, our phones go a bit crazy with calls for broken garage door springs. This is because springs tend to begin experiencing accelerated wear whenever weather starts to grow significantly colder or warmer, causing them to break. Because springs hold the weight of your garage door, it can be dangerous if your garage has a broken garage door spring. That is why we recommend that you don’t attempt to touch them or replace them yourself. You also do not want to try to force the door open with your garage door opener. This could cause the garage door opener’s motor to burn out.
When it comes to spring replacement, it is best to leave it to professionals like the technicians at Aaron Overhead Doors. We can recommend the best steps for replacement and determine which springs will best suit your garage door system. If you have a single car garage door (either 8×7 or 9×7), you may only have one spring which can reduce the cost of a spring change. A two car garage typically has two springs. The weight of the door also determines the cost of replacement because that will impact the gauge of spring needed to fix the door. Beyond just repair, we also perform Wayne Dalton torque system conversions to the more update torsion spring system.
Door Balance Test
If your garage door springs haven’t broken, but you would like to check the health of them, perform the steps below for a door balance test:
1) Dis-engage the opener with the emergency manual release cord hanging from the opener
2) Lift the garage door to your knees and release
3) Repeat lifting the garage door to your waist and release
4) Repeat lifting the garage door once more to your shoulders and release slowly making sure it doesn’t fall full force
If the door is very heavy to open or the door falls at any of the heights, your springs need to be tightened or replaced. On the other hand, if the springs are balanced, the door should stay in place whenever you release it at knee, waist, and shoulder height. If you choose to tighten the springs when it fails the door balance test, there is no guarantee how long they will last. This is because springs have two resting places: open and closed. If you wind the springs a few quarter turns, the spring is now resting in a position with more resistance. As you can imagine, that can cause the spring to break sooner. Also, keep in mind that springs are only designed to last between 10-15,000 cycles of open and closing your door. This translates to between 8-12 years depending on how often you use the garage door. This said, spring replacement is often your best bet if your spring fails the door balance test.
Spring Replacement
However, if you do not tighten the springs, it can put undue stress on the motor and the motor can burn up. Instead of the cost replacement springs and a maintenance appointment, you are now looking at $500 to $700 for a motor and springs. That is why we always suggest changing the springs if the door is heavy, but we educate the homeowner and allow them to choose.
Contact Us
If you are seeking garage door spring prices, feel free to contact us at 678-960-3360! Also, we can help you determine which spring type will best suit your garage door system if it is time for a replacement or upgrade. Trust Aaron Overhead Doors to take care of all your garage door needs!