Ever tried opening your garage door with broken garage door springs? Your garage doors torsion springs play a key role in opening and closing your door. And when yours break, your garage door will no longer lift to allow you in and out of your home. Because garage door springs are only rated for so many cycle, every now and then they do require replacement so that your garage door can continue to properly operate for you and your loved ones.
How Long Should They Last
So, just how long can you expect your garage door springs to deliver? In our blog, “What are Torsion Springs“ we go over exactly what torsion springs are and how they work.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a definitive answer to how long exactly they will actually last. It all depends on how often you open and close your garage door. As well as the condition of your other moving hardware.
Each time your garage door opens and closes, it completes one “cycle”. A standard set of garage door torsion springs is expected to last you about 10,000 cycles. That being said, if you only open and close your garage door twice a day, your springs will likely last considerably longer than if they were used seven times a day. The more people coming and going through your garage door, the more you can expect your springs cycles to diminish.
Causes of Broken Garage Door Springs
Garage door springs can break over time due to a number of different factors, but in many cases, they break because of:
- Normal wear and tear. Just like the tires on your car, your garage door springs suffer wear and tear over time.
- If your torsion springs aren’t corrosion free, rust and corrosion will affect your garage door springs. You can prevent rust-related damage applying a silicone based garage door lubricant every six months.
- Neglected Hardware. Often times, homeowners are so focused on their springs, that they forget about the overall health of the other components of their garage door. Overtime the ball bearings in your rollers and bearing plates will wear down and start to drag. When this happens, your garage door springs have to work harder to operate your door. Which in turn means faster spring failure.
Judging the Strength of Your Springs
Want to know how your own garage door springs are holding up? Follow these simple steps to get an idea of their strength.
- With the garage door closed, pull the red-handled emergency release cord.
- Manually raise and lower the door by hand, taking care to listen for squeaking. If it occurs, apply some silicone based lubricant to the affected area and see if the squeaking stops.
- Raise the garage door several feet off the ground by hand, and then release it. If your garage door stays in place, you can safely assume your garage door springs are in good shape and properly balanced. If it so happens to quickly fall to the floor, it may be a good sign it is time to replace them.
It may be worth it to invest in some extended life springs. They may more experience the standard cycle models, but they won’t require replacement at the rate of typical torsion springs.
Finally, we do not recommend trying to replace them yourself. Due to the pressure they’re under, doing so can prove highly dangerous and is something best left to an experienced professional.
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