Using Garage Door Springs

By: Amanda Bailey Click author's name for more of his/her articles

Homeowners must keep in mind that repairing it is not a do-it-yourself job, and has to be left with expert contractors. Countless incidents of inadequate and less knowledgeable homeowners have brought danger to themselves, such as a break in the neck, lacerations, bone fractures, and even death because they thought they were capable of fixing it themselves. Even repairmen who knew what to do are sometimes not spared from these accidents. Torsion springs are devices that lift most of the weight of a garage door so that the door can be opened manually or by an electric opener. It is mounted over the top of the door, and experiences tremendous forces each time the door opens or closes. It eventually cracks and breaks, usually releasing its stored energy. One should never be standing or walking under the door when it is opening or closing, especially if you do so manually instead of with an electric opener.

The door appears nearly weightless when the springs are working properly, but this is an illusion that turns into a calamity when the springs abruptly fail. If torsion springs need to be adjusted, it should be done with the garage door in the down position and the spring under tension. Just be certain that you have all your tools with you before closing the door unless you have an back-up access door to the garage, as well as wearing eye protection and gloves for protection. This is actually very hazardous because it could snap back at you and hit you hard.

One should not also try welding broken springs together, because the weld itself may fail, either due to insufficient basic strength, or weakening of the nearby parts of the spring. Also, the fact that the spring was old and fatigued enough to break once, it means that it is probably to break again. If the spring is broken near a winding cone, it is not a good idea to discard the short broken piece of spring from the cone, clean up the end of the long remaining spring, and insert that end into the cone. This is another intensely risky improvisation. You will not be able to balance the door properly because the shortened spring is not going to have the correct weight-bearing characteristics for the door. The shortened spring will be proportionately wound, resulting in extra stress that will increase the expectation of another fracture. The fading and history of the original spring being broken highly increases the likelihood of another fracture at other locations.

Be cautious also of improper prior installations, for it may not be correct in the first place, and old springs should not be used as a specification for replacements. If your door has never worked quite right, something like this might be the cause and you should ask a professional to look into it.
Dispose your old springs and replace them with new ones, as a set all the time. If one spring has broken, it is most likely that the other springs will break soon, since the strength of a spring decreases with time and use. The use of a new spring with an old spring can cause an imbalance in the garage doors that cannot be corrected for through adjustment. It is highly recommended that you leave it to the professionals to take care of your garage doors needs if you care enough about your safety.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

About The Author: Amanda Bailey is an architect, providing information about home improvement, home repair, garage door services, garage door repair and the like. She has published a number of articles, both online and off. Visit www.usgaragedoors.com for your garage doors need.