Garage Door Springs are an important, yet DANGEROUS necessities to keep your Garage Door operating properly. Garage Door Springs counteract the force of gravity to ease the process of opening and closing your Garage Door. The Springs are kept under a constant tension to help reduce the overall weight of the Garage Door, making it easier to operate manually or by Garage Door Openers. The constant pressure and strain of the spring tension will eventually cause the spring to fail over time. This wearing down or failing of the Spring is important to take care of immediately to ensure the proper operation of your Garage Door. Contact the professionals at All American Door Co. immediately to diagnose and solve your Spring issues.
Types of Garage Door Springs
Depending on the age and how your garage door was installed after the original purchase, your garage door will either have torsion or extension garage door springs. Here is more information on the two types of springs:
Torsion Garage Door Springs
Torsion springs are typically mounted above the door, though on older homes they could be mounted to the rear of the garage to take up less space. (This is known as a rear-mounted torsion.) A torsion spring’s job is to help balance the door, allowing it to open and close with the same amount of pressure and reduce the risk of placing too much strain on the opener.
How Does It Work?
Torsion springs are placed above the door with a metal tube running through the center that has drums on either side of the tubing. When the garage door is closed, the drums move with the cables connected to the bottom of the door to wind the springs back up, creating stored energy. As the garage door opens, the springs unwind, releasing the energy and allowing the garage door to open. As the door rolls overhead to the opening position, the spring unwinds, losing power and strain until it is needed again. The rate at which this process happens is known as inches pounds per turn (IPPT). IPPT is based on the height and weight of the door along with the radius of the tracks and drums. If your garage door is properly balanced, then the springs should last a household up to 10,000 open and close cycles.
The lifespan of a torsion spring can be anywhere from 3 to 5 years depending on maintenance and how many open and close cycles you are using per day. (If you are using your garage door more than 4 times a day, the life expectancy will decrease due to the amount of strain being put on the springs. This could result in your torsion spring having a lifespan of 2-3 years.)
Extension Springs
Extension springs can be mounted horizontally running from the back of the garage door track to the front. They operate by pulling the garage door upwards against the force of gravity to support the weight. This is accomplished thanks to a pulley system. The pulley system allows the springs to stretch as the door closes, allowing the door to gradually close instead of slamming down.
Extension springs can last a homeowner anywhere from 7 to 9 years and their life expectancy can either be extended or lessened depending on how much you use your garage door.
All American Door Co. Professional Spring Technicians
With over 31 Years of Experience at All American Door Co. in Hurst, TX we are your most trusted source for Spring Replacement and Repairs. Our customers can feel comfortable that we will provide the best service in DFW. We offer very competitive pricing and, in many circumstances, same day service. Our goal is to not only offer low cost solutions, but deliver the safest and most premiere service in Tarrant County.
Contact us in Hurst, Texas 817-282-6273 for all of your overhead door repairs.